Good Intentions
by mermaidstear
Summary: Katia's finally on her first SHIELD mission; peacekeeping in Sokovia. When she learns that her team is Hydra, she tries to free their human experiments, only to become one herself. Pietro/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! I know this is an incredibly short intro so I'm sorry! But I hope you enjoy this. I've been sucked into the abyss that is the Maximoff twins. I would really appreciate any feedback! I own nothing but my character, Katia.**

I wrap my fingers around the straps of my backpack. The crowd is large and it wouldn't surprise me if I'm surrounded by hundreds of eager pick-pockets.

I can see it now. A kid with grimy fingers and a tiny knife rips open the bottom of my bag and the parts of my rifle clatter to the cobblestoned square. Everyone else turns and looks. The pick-pocket takes my clip and the crowd descends on me, finding me another foreign threat in the midst of their riots.

I snap out of it. I don't actually look that out of place in Sokovia and I definitely don't look out of place at the protest.

After a second of shifting from one foot to the other, I decide I have to get to higher ground. I push my way through groups of angry Sokovian teenagers and even angrier Sokovian adults. I duck wayward elbows and arms until I am finally on the outside of the crowd. My backpack makes it out equally unscathed. I wander the streets until I find a building tall enough to survey the situation before it gets worse.

Something tells me that I shouldn't be here as I climb flights of stairs to the top of a bell tower. I shake that off too. I've spent too long being told I'm not old enough to be an agent, that's all it is. _It's natural to doubt yourself on your first mission,_ I think. But I just can't shake this bad feeling.

I was only allowed on this mission because I'm the best sniper this side of Clint Barton. It's certainly not because S.H.I.E.L.D. considers me an agent. They act like I'm still a child but I'm not one. I'm an _asset._ I haven't been a kid since my dad died. S.H.I.E.L.D. knows that because they took me in. Still, they've lorded the number "21" over me since the moment I expressed interest in becoming one, as if it would make me change my mind. You can join the army at 18. Just ask Captain America.

I drop my bag to the floor and start to assemble my sniper rifle. Once it is locked and loaded, I lay on my stomach and look through my scope. Even though I'm not going to shoot anyone, I still finger the trigger.

The only reason we're in Sokovia is to quell this rebellion. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are coming in to be "peacekeepers." The very nature of this mission (and the very definition of the word "peacekeeper") was why I was even allowed to come. Discussions about allowing me on a mission went on for weeks. Their reasoning for letting me finally go out in the field came down to, "Keeping the peace? In Sokovia? There's no trouble for Katia to get herself into." They underestimate me. I can get into trouble anywhere.

Something catches my eye in the square and I adjust my scope. I keep my gaze on the Sokovian rebels. They're yelling, pushing against their barricades. I turn my gun to look back at our forces. Most of them aren't S.H.I.E.L.D. but news channels.

"Ridley, how's the unrest looking?" Agent Basso's voice asks over my comm.

"They're starting to get violent," I respond, returning to the rebels just as something is thrown over their barricades.

"Wishing you'd stayed at home?" The whole team seems to walk on eggshells around me and they've wanted me to leave since day one. I know that everyone's attitude is that I'm a teenager and therefore, not old enough to make informed decisions but they're wrong. I'm an adult in all the ways that matter.

I scoff at him. "Not one bit." I twirl my scope until it focuses on a pair of kids around my age; a boy and a girl, both brunette and equally enraged. I bet they've been told by their superiors that they're too young to stand up for what they believe in. For a second, I wonder what they've been through… and then it happens.

A smoke bomb fires off in the square and I say, "Move in!" I twist my rifle around, moving away from the Sokovian boy and girl.

"Ridley, get to Agent Smith! We'll take you back to base!" I want to protest but another bomb goes off and I feel the impact of it from my vantage point at the church.

"Okay," I reply and immediately begin dismantling my rifle. I throw parts into my bag haphazardly, zip it up, and throw it on my back. I run down the stairs and head out onto the streets, which are filled with people fueling the riots. This situation is getting more precarious by the minute.

Sokovia is mostly medieval with a few semi-modern structures thrown in for good measure, which only serves to make its layout more confusing. I pull out my tiny GPS, which should help me get back to Agent Smith. I hit it with my palm several times before it decides to work. This is what happens when you get Clint's hand-me-downs.

It tells me to turn right so I start at a sprint, hoping to get away from the yelling. I go left, right, left again. I turn another corner and slam into someone. My GPS hits the ground and the guy I ran into scoops it up and delivers it back into my hands. It's the boy I was watching earlier. "Sorry," he says with a wink and moves around me. The girl he was with runs by me too. I turn and look after them until my GPS starts blaring.

I miraculously make it back to Agent Smith. Frankly, I'm irritated that I have to answer to an agent who was recruited in the past six months. Sure, I'm not official but I've been around these people far longer than he has. Besides, Clint and Natasha don't seem to like him so I don't either.

"Let's get to the jet!" Smith yells at me. I slide into the passenger seat of a black SUV beside him and say nothing in response.

Smith arrived only a couple of days ago, a week after the rest of us got here. Agent Basso wanted him to come because he would bring something we need (or more specifically, something Baron Von Strucker needs). I've yet to figure out what it is and no one will tell me.

Once back on the jet, I think about letting Clint know just how great I'm doing but when I see another agent glance at where I'm sitting and snicker, I decide against it. I just go to my bunk in the back and lay down. I know I'll never be taken seriously if I keep openly protesting the idea that I'm just a "kid." They have to see what I can do. But subduing the riots in Sokovia won't be the best opportunity to show I can kill from 500 yards away.

The situation in Sokovia isn't terrible, all things considered. It hasn't warranted being on TV until now and even at this point, I bet it's only being shown on the premium news channels you have to pay extra to get. Frankly, I don't understand why S.H.I.E.L.D. even wants to get involved. Riots like this aren't all that unusual over here. I also don't see how there's anything to gain from a base in a small country like this. But what do I know? I'm not an agent.

Over the next couple of weeks, I repeat my actions daily. I set up in the steeple of the church and keep an eye on the progress of the rebellion. For the most part, I find it boring and tedious. Is this the life I'll be living once I pass my entrance tests? Sitting up in a crow's nest, only one eye open, clutching a semi-automatic rifle?

S.H.I.E.L.D. creates more of a presence down in the square after our base is finally firmly established. It's located in a medieval fortress that resembles a cold, mountain castle. Sometimes I find things like that cool, as I've found most of Sokovia, but the compound creates a pit at the bottom of my stomach. It feels like a dungeon. I try to tell myself I'm overreacting because the team has been attempting to sike me out from the beginning, but I've felt weird since the moment I stepped off the plane.

I head down from my vantage point earlier than usual one day, my bag bumping against my back. I arrive at the outskirts of the square and stand on my tiptoes to see over the shoulders of the protesters. "Is that Dr. List?" I mutter. He looks like he's about to say something to the crowd. _That doesn't make any sense,_ I think because Dr. List typically remains sequestered in his lab. I fall back on my heels and start to push through people. I have got to see what this is about.

I don't like Dr. List. Actually, I don't like anyone on this team because the whole mission has been so secretive. Of course, no one tells me anything, other than, "You shouldn't be here," and I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that maybe they're right. Parts of the compound have been cordoned off for Dr. List and his small scientific team's lab. _Why do we need a lab at all when we're just supposed to be policing the area?_ Nobody has clarified what Agent Smith brought but it's safe to assume that it's what Dr. List is working on. All Baron Von Strucker does is glare at me and twirl his nonexistent mustache.

I miraculously reach the barricades in time to hear Dr. List speaking, even though he's still rather far from me. "You should not keep looking to your government to protect your rights! What have they done for you so far? Fight for those rights personally!" Everyone around me yells in agreement, thrusting their fists in the air. I feel the metal of the fence pressing into my leg. _What the hell is he talking about?_ I wonder. "I, and my organization, can offer you the tools you need to battle your oppressors… but only if you volunteer." _Volunteer for what?_

"Dr. List!" I yell but he can't hear me. "Dr. List!" A couple of heads turn in my direction but no one seriously notices me; no one but the boy and girl I first laid eyes on weeks ago. For some reason, my scope always lands on them. Could be because they look more like models than Sokovian rebels. Whatever the case, I see them regularly and occasionally, they see me. I was leaving the church one day last week and the boy began to approach me. I started to wait for him, see what he'd say in a cute Sokovian accent, but I ran before he got close enough. _I'm not here to make friends,_ I'd reminded myself. _Not even with cute Sokovian guys._

I plant my feet between the metal bars of the barricade to give myself some extra height. I get a better look at the boy and girl, who have turned their gaze from me to Dr. List. I shake my head when the boy speaks. _Be quiet,_ I think. _This isn't right._

"We just want these wars off our streets," he says in a spotty accent. The girl nods beside him. _Good. You don't need whatever this is._ I may want to be S.H.I.E.L.D. more than anything in the world but that doesn't mean I don't know when something's sketchy. And _this_ is sketchy.

"Well, you need power to achieve that," Dr. List responds. "And you've seen the type of power I can give you in people like Iron Man and Captain America. You could have the strength and fortitude of the Avengers. All I need to grant you a greater future is your consent."

The crowd screams in agreement once again. The name "Iron Man" in particular sends a ripple through the group of protesters. I can't even blame them for wanting something like this. Who would decline becoming Captain America? Who wouldn't want to be able to defend themselves and their neighbors against their enemies? I, myself, have always wanted superpowers of some sort because I know it would make S.H.I.E.L.D. look at me differently and actively want to have me around. I wouldn't just be some orphan running around and tugging at their gun holsters, trying to keep up. S.H.I.E.L.D. would be the one annoying me. So I understand the desire in the eyes of those around me, so many of whom have lived under an oppressive regime and in a war-torn country their entire lives. They're tired of it. And so I am unsurprised to hear many of them vocalize their desire to volunteer.

The loudest are the boy and girl I've been watching. My stomach sinks when the fences are opened and they are the first two to reach Dr. List.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi again! So I'm updating a day later! I can't believe it. But I really want to thank all of you for the follows, favorites, and reviews! They've been incredibly encouraging. Please continue letting me know your thoughts. Sorry that this is, again, so short! I only own Katia.**

"Okay, what's going on?" I ask the cadre of Baron Von Strucker, Dr. List, and Agent Basso back at base. I've waited for days for someone to even mention the experiments in casual conversation but they're a well-kept secret. If I hadn't come down into the square, I wouldn't know anything about this.

"What are you talking about?" Basso replies, as though I'm so stupid that I don't deserve a response.

"I'm talking about the experiments!" Von Strucker rolls his eyes. He's never liked me. I became a permanent annoyance the day I was assigned to his team. 'Make the girl a lookout.' 'Send her on a run.' He will do anything to get me away from base and away from him. "Or do the Sokovian police make a habit of promising their citizens the super soldier serum? Because that's what we're supposed to be doing; dispelling the riots."

"Ridley-" Dr. List stops speaking when Von Strucker cuts him off with a glare. I cross my arms and stand my ground.

"Well?" I ponder tapping my feet against the old floor.

Dr. List gestures at Basso and Von Strucker. They pull into a small group and I can hear them deliberating.

"She's still a child _."_ Von Strucker.

"She's the best sharp shooter in the agency." Basso.

"And she wanted to be here." Dr. List. This is said ominously, as though that has more clout than my credentials (which were the only reason I thought I was even barely tolerated). "She's figured it out. What harm could it do? I could use a secretary." I audibly scoff. _A secretary? Are you kidding me?_

"I still say we send her back to S.H.I.E.L.D." Von Strucker.

"And let her tell everyone we're performing human experiments? Even with all that's happening with Pierce, that would raise some red flags." Dr. List. _Director Pierce?_

"She's a meddlesome kid. No one would listen to a word she says." Basso. _Clint would,_ I think.

"But I can put her to use." Dr. List. I shift from one foot to another, pushing dark hair behind my ear. _Tell me,_ I mentally command them. _Tell me so I can know whether S.H.I.E.L.D. really isn't what I thought it was._

"Ridley," Agent Basso addresses me, "we will only show this to you if you behave in a manner appropriate for an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. That means _respecting_ your superiors and following orders no matter what." I nod rather meekly. I'm not messing this up.

"Follow us," Dr. List says. The three of them turn and walk ahead of me to Dr. List's part of the compound. I've never been inside. I press a hand against my stomach, as if that will stop it from churning. "This wasn't on the debriefing memo you received but I assume that's why you pointed it out." I actually didn't fully read the memo since it wouldn't download on my shoddy iPhone 4.

"Yes sir," I murmur. Agents always say 'yes sir.'

"That's because this is a separate mission altogether. Your mission was protecting civilians. This was ours." He throws open a door and I dash in behind them. At first, we walk past several rooms with walls of glass. It occurs to me that they're living quarters when I see tiny twin beds and people sitting on them. Other than the beds, the rooms are completely sparse and grey. But the people inside don't seem unhappy, which makes me feel a little better. "We've been trying to power the Chitauri guns for months but there's been no progress. The next logical step was to move on to human experiments."

"Chitauri guns?" I question. I remember the Battle of New York vividly because it happened on my one and only trip to New York. At the right moment, I ran and pulled a woman down so a blast from one of those guns wouldn't hit her. "Everywhere you go breeds trouble, you know that?" Clint had asked me afterwards, tousling my dark curly hair.

"You'll understand when you see this." I jog a little to catch up to them, going past several of the cells without a wayward glance. I enter a huge lab, a white room so different from the rest of the base that it completely takes me off-guard. It is populated by metal gurneys, metal cabinets, and tool boxes filled with God knows what. Sadly, I know this lab is only one of many. If Dr. List is working on everyone occupying those cells, less than a fourth of them could fit in here.

Then the three men step aside and I see it. In the center of the room is Loki's scepter, a gold staff accented by a pulsing blue stone. That sickening feeling I've been ignoring pops up again along with a mental message of, _This isn't right._

"Are you supposed to have this?" I ask even though I'm sure I know the answer.

"What about the word 'secret' do you not understand, Ridley?" Basso questions. Dr. List puts up a hand, effectively telling him not to make the situation worse.

"What Agent Basso states is correct," Dr. List tells me. "What we're doing here, the experiments we're conducting, _none_ of this is common knowledge back at headquarters. Each member of this team was hand-picked by Director Pierce for this specific purpose."

"Except for you," Baron Von Strucker asserts.

"Well, why would they put me on a top secret mission my first time out of the gate?" I say. Somebody somewhere made the call to put me in Sokovia with these people. I assumed they knew what they were doing but maybe they didn't.

"You were a last minute addition that there was no point in questioning," Dr. List replies before anyone else can. "We were never going to tell you about this." _Obviously._ "But you figured it out because you're clever and I think you were put with us for a reason." Or I was in the right place at the right time. "Now, Ridley, you're well on your way to becoming an agent so I know that I can count on you to follow orders and do as you're bid." I nod. "If I tell you what I'm doing with the scepter, nothing I say can get back to S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Okay," I respond, with every intention of calling Clint the minute I'm left alone.

"We're serious, Ridley," Von Strucker says. He nods and Agent Basso pulls my phone out of the back pocket of my shorts.

"Are you kidding me?" I turn to glare at Basso. In response, he cracks my phone in half, throwing its mangled body in a trashcan at the base of one of the gurneys. "You don't trust me?" I ask as if I'm betrayed. But I know in my heart that distrusting me is the smartest thing for them to do.

"No. And I won't trust you until you finally prove useful."

"Please," Dr. List interrupts. "Ridley, I've got a job for you that should be much more interesting than sitting up in your tower, monitoring rebel activity."

"I don't want to be your secretary and I don't want to hurt people," I reply. The more this conversation progresses, the more anxious I become. I would never admit it openly but I'm scared of all three men I'm alone in this lab with. All of them have weapons within reach and I have nothing, not even my small backpack with rifle parts. Worse than the immediate danger is the idea that S.H.I.E.L.D. would sanction human experimentation, even secretly. Do all of my friends know what this organization is capable of and I've been blind? Did my dad do things like this when he was an agent? For all I know, there are alternate objectives for every single mission. If something as benevolent as helping a war-torn country could be covering this, what are the dangerous missions hiding?

"Oh no, you think we're hurting people? We would _never_ do something like that. S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't allow it! The experiments are entirely benign and they're only being performed on volunteers." I want to tell him that most of those volunteers are impressionable protesters, people who showed up daily for the riots because they'd decided they'd had enough. _Anything_ remotely resembling help, especially tied up in a pretty "Avengers"-style bow, would seem like a godsend to these people. They were suffering and probably assumed that this couldn't be worse than what they've already endured.

"Well, what are the experiments exactly? Why do you need an alien scepter?"

"Loki's scepter is an excellent power source, one that we originally thought was connected to the tesseract but have since found out it is its own entity. We attempted to use it to power the Chitauri guns, as I told you, but the progress has been disappointing." _So you jump from inanimate objects to innocent people?_ "Human trials will show the extent of what the staff can do."

"But you offered the Sokovians superpowers. You have no proof the scepter can give them that."

"Oh yes, we do," Von Strucker says. "Several of the volunteers are already displaying abilities."

"Abilities?" I whisper.

"We'll give you a demonstration of that later."

"Now the question is, Ridley, do you want to work for me or not?" Dr. List inquires.

"Well, what would you have me do?" I reply. I can't very well decline any of their requests. They are my superiors after all. _And what if I'm overreacting?_ I wonder. It wouldn't be the first time.

"For the time being, I'll just have you in note-taking capacity. I need to know how the speci- I mean, the volunteers are reacting to what's happening. Are they exhibiting any abilities or is anything out of the ordinary occurring with them? Just watch and observe." I bite my bottom lip. He was going to say "specimens," as if he doesn't even consider them human.

"I thought you promised me something more interesting than watching and observing." Dr. List smiles and I feel a chill crawl down my spine.

"I think you'll find this to be incredibly different than looking through the lens of a sniper rifle." _No,_ I think. _This time it will be through the lens of a microscope._ "Allow me to show you our subjects."

We walk out of the lab into the hall of living quarters. Most of the volunteers are wearing grey sweat-suits, making them all appear as blank slates. Again, no one looks particularly unhappy but I find they don't appear thrilled either. I follow behind Basso, Von Strucker, and Dr. List, trying to follow what Dr. List is telling me.

"Each person has their own, individual cell," he begins. "That's how you'll be monitoring them, Ridley. Day and night if you wish. I want you to check their vitals, heartrate, blood pressure, the whole nine yards."

"I don't know how to do that," I tell him.

"I'll teach you. You'll get the hang of it quickly, I think."

"Are they locked in?"

"Yes but that's simply for our safety. What if someone develops incredibly dangerous powers? It's best that they don't take to wandering until we know their capabilities for certain."

"That makes sense." I think to myself that I have to play along, even if this makes my skin crawl. _They're not prisoners,_ I want to tell him. _They're doing you a favor._ "Can they see us or is that one-way glass?" This is my main test for them. It's clear he's attempting sidestep my feelings and make circumstances appear better than they actually are.

"Oh yes, they can see us." Well, that's a plus.

Then we reach the pair of cells housing the boy and girl from the riots. I clamp a hand over my mouth in open shock. Each appears as good looking as they were in the midst of the protests, gritty and strong. They're both looking through the glass at us… Well, mostly at me, as my three guides have kept on walking.

"Ridley, keep up!" I hear Basso say. But I don't move. Seeing them cements that what's happening here must be horrible. They turn up their nose at me but they're willing to experiment on kids my age? "Katia!" I've never heard Agent Basso say my first name so it automatically gets my attention. He's back at my side with an irritated Baron Von Strucker and Dr. List. "Stop wasting time and come on." He reaches for my arm, like he's going to drag me away and I take a step back. The boy and girl only stare at me.

"You need to let them go," I say forcefully, trying hide my nerves. The Sokovian boy and girl perk up at my voice. They know I'm talking about them.

"And why would we do that?" Basso asks.

"They can't possibly legally agree to do something like this," I tell them.

"Like you're not _legally_ an agent but you're here anyway?" Von Strucker counters.

"I'm trying to serve my country and the world, not-"

"That's exactly what the twins are doing. They, and everyone else, volunteered for the procedures. They _want_ to be here." I glance in their direction fearfully. _Do something to prove me right,_ I think. _Tell me if I really work for monsters._ The girl barely meets my eyes but the boy stares me down. Yet again, I have no idea where these people stand.

"They're kids," I mutter.

"So are you." At that, I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the glass. I'm in dirty tennis shoes, jean shorts, and a chiffon shirt that I tore a small hole in when dismantling my gun the other day. My hair is pulled back in a ponytail and I have bags under my grey eyes. I fear that Von Strucker is right. Maybe I am just an annoying kid who didn't understand what she was getting into. I look exactly like the ragged orphan girl they all think I am.

"They're twins, Ridley," Dr. List says, as if that makes it any better. "Wanda was a little apprehensive about the experiments. She's rather shy but her brother isn't. Pietro has been eager to do everything I ask." I gulp. "You can work with them tomorrow, if you take the job."

"I'll do it," I respond, my eyes moving back and forth between the boy and girl. _Wanda and Pietro,_ I tell myself.

They start to move on again so I do my best to smile at the pair of twins. Neither of them return it, which lets me know they're just as apprehensive about this as I am.

 **So Katia's going to be working with Hydra (unknowingly, haha) before she attempts her breakout. She's a little uneasy about the whole thing but hasn't formulated a plan for saving people yet. Anyways, let me know your thoughts!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! Thank you all so much for the follows, favorites, and reviews! I incredibly appreciate it! Please continue to let me know how you're liking everything! I only own Katia.**

"Tell me if I hurt you," I say, wrapping a cuff around Wanda's small arm. She nods. I check her blood pressure by blowing up the cuff and watching a gauge. It deflates and I plug her results into my tablet, which looks more like a sheet of glass than an iPad. I've already checked her breathing and temperature. "You're in top shape."

"Thank you," she responds lowly. Wanda's room is slowly getting some furniture. She now has a dresser and some books. It's scant but she doesn't look like she minds.

"Can I check your pulse too?" She nods because she doesn't really have a choice.

I sit beside her on her bed. It's uncomfortable. I bite my bottom lip. She hands me her wrist and I press two of my fingers to it. I hit a timer on my glass tablet and count her pulse for a minute. When it is over, I let her go and assure that she's in perfect condition.

"Well, you are doing great!" She kindly smiles and curls a piece of her dark hair behind her ear. _She's waiting for me to leave,_ I think, typing in some notes. "My name's Katia. If you need anything, and I mean _anything,_ let me know."

"I will," she replies.

 _That could've gone better but it also could've gone worse._ I walk out of her room and turn to the right. She watches me leave, hesitant. I arrive in front of her brother's room next and type a code into the screen in the glass. The door slides open and I step inside.

I approach him more cautiously than I did Wanda because Dr. List told me he was the one who wanted to participate in the experiments; that when she wanted to back out, he convinced her to do it. You would think that might make me more comfortable around him but I feel like I have more in common with the uneasy Wanda.

"Hi, I'm Katia," I start, my fingers gripping my tablet and small bag of medical equipment. "I'm here to check your vitals. Is that okay?"

He gives me a onceover and nods.

"You'll have to bear with me," I say, plopping my bag down on the end of his bed. "I'm not very good at all this yet."

"It is all right," he replies with a grin. I pop a plastic top onto my thermometer and hand it to him.

"Put it under your tongue until it beeps." I watch him do it slowly and then fiddle with my tablet. This thing is probably the most recent technology I've worked with in my entire time with S.H.I.E.L.D. I've been stuck with outdated hand-me-downs since my father died and I became a ward of the state (or a ward of the agency). From my old GPS to my now-broken iPhone 4, I haven't had decent tech in years. _What are we on now? The iPhone 6? And that's still completely outdated to S.H.I.E.L.D._ I know I'm not an actual "agent" and therefore, giving me open access to their files wouldn't be smart. So I understand. It's just another obstacle I have to work through.

The thermometer beeps and Pietro gives it back to me. I cock it to the side. "98.7," I mutter. "You're perfect." I believe I hear him cockily whisper, "I know." I shake my head and key his temperature into my tablet. _What a charmer_.

"Okay, blood pressure next." I stand up, put up my thermometer, and pull out my blood pressure cuff. Where I almost had to wrap it around Wanda's arm twice, I'm happy to get the cuff to go around Pietro's once. I take his wrist and make it face the ceiling before starting to blow up the cuff.

He watches me do it all, blue eyes under dark hair. _He's trying to figure out what to say to me,_ I think because I'm certain he's not staring at me because I'm pretty.

"You were at the riots," he states.

"Yes, I was." I look at the gauge, even though I still feel his eyes on me. "I was supposed to be monitoring the protests… and now, here I am." I take the cuff off once it deflates and put his results in my tablet.

"You started to… do this because of me and my sister."

"I did." I sit down beside him and he automatically gives me his wrist.

"Why?" I glance at him and see that he's still looking at me, clearly trying to figure the situation out. _What should I say?_ I wonder. The truth? Or is this a trap?

"Because I saw you and your sister in the riots all the time. It's like I already know you," I say with a bit of a smile. _Watched you down the barrel of a gun but that doesn't really matter._ I quickly find his pulse with my fingertips. It's racing. Before he can say anything else, I tell him, "Relax. Take some deep breaths. Your heartrate's high." He does as I ask and I start my timer, counting his pulse for a minute. "Great." I let him go and type it up. "All right, this will be awkward but it's the easiest way for me to do it. Can you sit up straight?"

He does and I place my hand against his chest. I don't tell him I'm checking his respiration because people tend to breathe differently when they know that's being watched. His breathing changes anyway, becoming quicker. _Damn. That's twice now. What if something's wrong with him?_

I pull away after a full minute and again, key in his results. "Sorry," I say. "It's just easier to check your breathing if you don't know that's what I'm doing."

"Well, I know now." He grins.

"Try and forget about it between now and next time."

"I shall do my best." _He's gorgeous,_ I think. _An absolute Adonis._ Wanda is pretty too. That's helping make them the star pupils, no doubt.

"Well, if you want or need anything, you can tell me." He considers that for a moment then nods.

"Thank you, Katia." I've always heard that my name is Russian so it's interesting to hear it said in an accent so close to that. I find that I like it.

I check a few other people's vitals until I've gotten the hang of it. Then my tablet beeps and a name appears at the top of the screen; "PIETRO MAXIMOFF." I run back down to his cell, key the code into the door, and begrudgingly say, "You're up." I watch as he gets up and exchanges a look with me. I try to detect any sign of nerves but frankly, he doesn't seem bothered by it.

I'm genuinely not sure why I keep trying to prove to myself that the experiments are malevolent and that the people performing them are evil. I know in my heart that S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't condone something this terrible, which means it can't be what it looks like. My team isn't composed of weird Dr. Frankensteins. They're just a group of non-personable men that don't like me. That's not an excuse to be nervous around them or even skeptical of their intentions. Sure, Agent Basso busted my phone but again, none of them like me and if this is meant to be kept totally under wraps, can I really blame them for doing what they believe is necessary?

You know what, yes, I can.

I'm not going to ignore my gut. I've been anxious since I stepped foot onto Sokovian land and Baron Von Strucker and his ilk have been unsettling since I first met them. There's no chalking this up to being apprehensive about my first mission. I _know_ this is wrong. I've felt that something was off before I was even aware of the experiments.

But I just don't want to believe this is S.H.I.E.L.D. I've wanted to be an agent for as long as I can remember. It's all I've ever dreamed of. And the first thing I'm allowed to do, in even middling capacity, is supervise protests that ended up just being a pool of likely scientific subjects? I want to be S.H.I.E.L.D. because I want to help people, not do things like this. But it occurs to me that S.H.I.E.L.D. outfitted me with my sniper rifle years ago, even encouraged my training with it, while at the same time denying me something as simple as an ID card. They believe it's better for me to be able to kill someone than work on their computer systems. I'm "too young" to be a real agent but I'm old enough to use a gun with lethal force.

 _Stop it, Katia,_ I tell myself. _They're just following protocol._ Well, they may have to follow protocol but I don't.

I move aside and let Pietro out of his cell. He looks down at me and for a second, I see a flicker of fear. I give him a strong smile but secretly, I think, _That does it._

I set up a table outside the twins' cells. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Wanda observing every little thing I do. I plop my backpack down and put my tablet to the side. Then I pull out my notebook. I've got a map of the compound in my back pocket but I resist taking that out and looking at it. I'm still not entirely sure who I can trust, if anyone. I certainly don't like any of my team and I'm wary of the Sokovians. I have to constantly remind myself that they did indeed choose to do this and they could resent me for doing anything to sabotage it. I've taken a chance on being close to the Maximoffs but I feel rather comfortable around them already. I constantly watched them at the protests, a beautiful boy and girl fueled by rage. If they were unnerved by that situation, they never once showed it. They were brave and they stood up for what they believed in. So will I.

Dr. List escorts Pietro back as I start unzipping my pack. "Oh, Ridley, you've found a place to put your desk?" Dr. List asks as they walk by. He wants me to observe the participants so this doesn't raise any red flags.

"Yeah, is it all right here?" I reply. I back up against the table and I hope it doesn't appear as if I'm trying to get away from him, even though that's exactly what I'm doing. _"Mad scientist" isn't going to rub off on you,_ I convince myself.

"It's great here! In fact, this was where I was going to tell you to set up shop anyway. I'll get your equipment set up tomorrow." I raise my eyebrows. They're actually going to give me equipment?

"Great." Dr. List doesn't have to key in a code to slide open the door to Pietro's room. Instead, he uses his fingerprint. I'll never have that sort of clearance unless I become an agent above Level 5 and at this point, that doesn't seem likely. Pietro walks in and the door closes behind him automatically. He meets my gaze. _What'd they do to you?_ I think. _Brainwash you with that scepter like Loki did Clint? Electrocute you with it?_

"I'm glad to see you've overcome your trepidation about the experiments, Ridley." Dr. List interrupts my thoughts. "I know it's intimidating, with everyone telling you that you're too young to understand, but I think you'll prove a valuable addition to my team." I nod. I haven't even remotely overcome my anxiety about this but I tell myself I have to put it aside. If I freak out or tip anyone off to what I'm thinking of doing, it'll be over before it begins. "Are you feeling more comfortable with taking vitals?"

"Yeah, it's not that difficult."

"I told you it wasn't." He pauses. "I'm glad you thought to stay around the twins. Do you like them?" I nod again. "Everyone does. They show such promise. I wouldn't be surprised if they're our most successful participants." I spare a glance in their direction and they're simply gazing at us. Curiosity colors both of their pretty faces, as if they're so in tune with each other that they know exactly what the other is doing on the opposite side of a stone wall.

"What about the others that Von Strucker mentioned?" I question. "He said some of them were already exhibiting powers." Dr. List began to shake his head.

"Those early successes were just flashes in the pan," he explains before lowering his voice. "Unfortunately, many of them weren't physically strong enough to endure the experiments or the after-effects." My hand balls into a fist at my side.

"What are you talking about?" I whisper. "They _died?_ "

"It was always a risk, Ridley, and they were told about it before they signed on. Some people just aren't cut out for this sort of thing and regrettably, we don't know that unless we try." If I were gullible, Dr. List would really have me going. I might sincerely think he cares about these people. But as it is, I'm an absolute conspiracy theorist and there is not a word out of his mouth I believe.

"How many?"

"Approximately 22% have experienced adverse effects and around half of that percentage hasn't made it." I can't help it. I gasp. "I know."

"Can you help if you catch something soon enough?"

"That's hard to say. In most cases, it's been quick."

"Well, the Maximoff boy had a high pulse and respiration rate this morning." Dr. List laughs.

"Oh, that's nothing to get worried about, Ridley. He's a guy. I bet there were many of them whose pulses quickened while you were checking them." I give him a sarcastic laugh.

"Yeah, right," I mumble. "I was just thinking if that was a sign of anything, you might want to check him out."

"I just did. He's in excellent shape, might even call it perfect." I nod. I have to take him at his word, at least until the Sokovians warm up to me enough to be honest. "Are you planning on staying out here for a while?"

"Yes sir. I planned on staying at least until nightfall."

"Good, good. Maybe keep a tab on sleeping patterns if you're up that late and notice any?"

"Sure." _Your_ sleeping patterns are the ones I'm interested in.

When he leaves, I grab my chair and sit down. For a little while, I fiddle with my tablet. I know it will be futile but I hope that I can eventually break through their firewalls and get a message out to somebody. I don't care about all of the signs and the supposed proof that is staring me in the face. Something could still be achieved by reporting this to people within the agency I trust. Clint wouldn't stand for this and I doubt Natasha would either. They could make a couple of calls and blow this place sky-high (after rescuing everyone inside, of course). I'm more inclined to believe I was accidentally assigned to a group of maniac thugs than I am to incriminate S.H.I.E.L.D. as a whole. That's more than likely wishful thinking. I keep going back and forth on that issue.

But without an ID card, the correct code or the right fingerprint, I can't even get an internet browser to pull up. "NO ACCESS" on the screen in red. I groan and set it down on the table in frustration. _They've got it covered. There's no way I can hack into their computer system and I'll never be able to manipulate someone into letting me in._ I rest my head in my hands.

"Okay," I mutter. "Time for Plan B." I drop my hands and stand up. I take a peek at Pietro and Wanda. _Yep, they're looking. Do it later._

I grab my dinner and sit back down. The twins are eating too. Pietro cleans off his tray so I begin to think his pulse was a fluke. Wanda takes the last bite of her sandwich and begins eyeing my apple every few seconds. _They eat like they've known hunger._

"You want it?" I ask her. She appears startled that I addressed her and then shakes her head, dropping her gaze to the floor. "No, it's okay!" I grab the apple, walk over to her cell, and type the code in. Her door slides open and I toss her the apple.

"Thank you," she says with a smile.

"Any time." The door closes in front of me and I walk to the side. "You want anything else?" I ask Pietro. "Anything _but_ an apple."

"No," he replies, "but thank you." I wonder whether they're used to others being even a smidgen kind to them from his tone. All I can tell is that this has made them like me.

For what it's worth, I do take notes on the twins after I finish eating. I don't want to ask them anything outright because they've undoubtedly answered every question I could ask a hundred times over. Mostly, I'm just taking bets. Who's older? Maybe Pietro. Who's in charge? Probably Wanda. After a while of playing around with these ideas, I notice they're both asleep. _Yes!_

I get up and walk a bit down the corridor either way. Most Sokovians are asleep. _Great._

I head back to my desk on tiptoes. Once there, I open the front pocket of my backpack and pull out a plastic bag containing the broken parts of my old phone. _If they won't really let me use their computers or their tablets, I can still get this tracker chip working._ At some point, S.H.I.E.L.D. will begin to wonder why I haven't checked in, even if people like Von Strucker regularly speak with home base. I can activate the tracker and then worry about hacking their wireless network.

I pull my hair back and grab a couple of tools from my bag. A pair of tweezers will be my main utensils (they come in handy a lot more often than you'd think). I also scatter some parts of my rifle on my table. I can grab the phone quickly in the midst of this stuff and no one would think anything of me sitting around and cleaning my gun.

"Here goes nothing," I murmur.

I spend a lot of time pulling the phone even further apart. There's not a prayer of my ever repairing it but there is a tiny hope that I can start that chip back up. For all I know, S.H.I.E.L.D. has already noticed that I've dropped off the radar. I scoff, holding the tweezers between my teeth. _Yeah, right. If they've noticed at all, they just thought, 'The poor girl's phone finally died.'_

My eyes start drooping not long thereafter and I hit something within the phone that still has a bit of an electric current. It shocks me and I manage to throw part of the phone onto the floor.

"Damn it!" I say, quite a bit louder than intended. "You are _not_ a mechanic, Katia." I stand, my fingers still feeling jittery, and I see them. Pietro and Wanda are awake and they are staring at the mangled metal of my phone on the floor. _Oh no._

I quickly scoop it up and stuff it in my backpack. _What do I say?_ I think as I look between them. I settle on something simple. "Please don't mention that to anyone." I can tell they're both deliberating. Neither knows exactly what I'm attempting to do but "I saw that girl ripping apart a phone" would still be enough to do me some damage.

"We will not… if you tell us what it is you were doing," Pietro replies, still lounging on his bed. I look to Wanda, who's worriedly standing.

 _Two options. Tell the truth or make something up._ I press my fingers to the bridge of my nose.

"I'm trying to fix the GPS tracker that was embedded in my old phone." Like ripping off a Band-Aid.

Our conversation is cut off when Dr. List walks out of the laboratory. "Ridley, it's late. Go get some sleep."

"Yes sir," I respond, sliding the parts of my rifle back into my bag. I spare a glance towards the cells and both Pietro and Wanda appear asleep. But I know they aren't.


	4. Chapter 4

**All right, the twins get their powers this chapter! And a little bonding occurs! Next chapter should be when Katia finds out about Hydra! Thank you again for all the feedback! Please continue to let me know what you're thinking.**

"Ridley!" I wake up and raise my head. A paper is stuck to my cheek and I weakly pull it off. I hear Pietro laughing. "This is the fifth time in recent weeks I've found you asleep on your desk," Dr. List says. I rub my fingers over my face. "You're of no use to anybody if you don't get some proper rest."

"Yes sir," I mutter.

"Baron Von Strucker wanted you to lookout today but I don't know if you're up for it."

"I am." My voice cracks from exhaustion when I say this and Dr. List raises his eyebrows. "Do we have new shipments coming in?"

"A few more people for the scientific team. We're trying to get that shield going but there hasn't been much luck." In recent weeks, there has been a push for the ancient compound to be secured with a shield undetectable to outsiders. It reeks of desperation and makes me fear there may be an attack of some sort. I haven't been down in the city in months so I have no clue how the riots are going and therefore, can't comment on the threat level but it still seems rather useless to me. Does the weaponry Sokovia has available really demand this level of security?

"Why not power it with the scepter? It's doing everything else." Dr. List doesn't detect my sarcasm.

"That's the idea. Now go get some sleep."

"I was just asleep. I'll be all right."

"For how long? A couple of hours? I'm not clearing you for gun use until you've rested." I begin to protest but Dr. List throws up his hand, effectively cutting me off. "I will _sedate_ you, Ridley. Go to bed."

"Okay but if Von Strucker wants to know why I've blown off his orders, I'm sending him to you," I reply. When I stand up, my back cracks and I moan. Dr. List gives me his version of an I-told-you-so look.

"He'd be even angrier if I let you do this and you end up shooting our own men." I half-laugh in response, as if that idea hasn't once crossed my mind.

After a wave to the twins, I head for my bunk and rest in a deep, dreamless sleep. It lasts no longer than a couple of hours. When I wake, I assemble my gun and head to an outer walkway. I'm not at the highest vantage point of the fortress, which makes me feel exposed. But the base is situated in a mountain range so I'm still farther up than the city. I get on my knees and put the point of my gun through a hole at the top of the wall (I believe Agent Smith called them "crenels"). _And now I wait._

I get sent up here to survey the area every once and a while. I don't mind because there is something rather relaxing about being by myself with my gun, particularly in Sokovia. It's a beautiful place and up here, I can see it all. The mountains and the city. It's a nice reprieve from the way things are inside; dark with spotty florescent lighting. I never see anything of note, except an occasional car coming up the road to the compound, so there isn't much for me to do other than relax.

After a couple of minutes, I pull back and wrap my sweater around me tighter. It's starting to get cold and soon, it may snow. As I close one eye and stare through my scope at the valley below, my mind wanders to Pietro and Wanda. _I wonder if they're cold. I should bring them blankets._

The twins and I have clicked. It's taken a couple of months for us to get to a point of "almost friendship" because both Wanda and Pietro seemed suspicious of me at first (as they are of the rest of my team). I can only assume that Von Strucker yelling at me in front of them once or twice (okay, a _few_ times) has made them see that I'm not actually in a position of authority. But it could be little things, like sneaking them food and books, which they take graciously. Or maybe it's that I laugh at Pietro's jokes and ask Wanda to tell me Sokovian words for things (she's informed me that Sokovians actually speak a variant of Romanian).

Mostly, the three of us communicate through a language of looks and gestures. There's no open conversation, other than what we talk about when I check their vitals, so we've learned to talk in a different way. A raised eyebrow or shrug could be all we say to each other all day but I find that it's enough. Most of my expressions are ones of displeasure at various members of my team.

I'm just genuinely happy that they've taken to me. I wouldn't have, were I in their position. Here willingly or not, I would never see a girl who was working with the people experimenting on me as a friend. At most, I would be begrudgingly nice to her and do as she asks. I certainly wouldn't ask her how she's doing and try to make her laugh. But then, if I observed her doing the strange things I do on a regular basis, I might come to the conclusion that this girl is up to something… and I would want to know what that something is.

Since letting it go that I was messing with my GPS tracker, the twins have never reported anything suspicious they've seen me doing. I know they've watched me studying my map of the compound and circling ideal locations for extraction. They've seen me try to hack the computer on my desk time and time again. Wanda has even told me to be careful when I fiddle around with my chip. It's like these two have come to a mutual agreement to work with me without even speaking. I wonder if they've figured out that I'm trying to help them.

It's never been hidden that most of the other participants have died off from complications of the experiments (only five others are left). I beat myself up over that all the time but I know there's nothing I could have done. Without a solid plan and organization, there won't be saving a single person, let alone every Sokovian that volunteered. They've also all been through testing at this point so if something is going to happen to them, there's nothing anyone can do to stop it. But it doesn't help to think that I've missed multiple opportunities to save someone's life. I just want to make sure that if I try something, it at least has a small chance of being successful. Frankly, without the tracker working or ever accessing the mainframe, I'm up the creek. It would be suicide to round up the few Sokovians left and attempt to shoot my way out of the compound. I'm also _constantly_ reminded that these people chose to be here. It doesn't matter to anyone but me if they hate it. As far as Von Strucker and everyone else is concerned, this is what they signed up for.

 _One day I'll figure it out,_ I tell myself as I pull my gun back from the wall. _And I hope it's soon._

I go back down to the labs quickly and Dr. List pulls me aside before I can reach my desk.

"I've got great news," he says. The rest of his group of scientists are milling about around Wanda's cell, oohing and ahhing. I know what he's going to tell me and I start to feel nauseous. "I didn't say anything earlier because I wanted to be sure but Wanda has begun exhibiting utterly amazing abilities."

"Amazing?" I question in a small voice. Some of the others gained powers before dying. Their condition would deteriorate rapidly after that with no explanation or prayer of slowing it down. _Wanda's strong though. She's survived whatever hell they've put her through._

"She's incredible!" he declares. "As of this moment, none of us know the extent of what she can do but it's safe to say she's got some telekinesis and mental capabilities."

"Mental capabilities?" I parrot. I feel glued to the floor, worry bouncing around in my stomach. "Are you talking mind reading?"

He laughs and replies, "Frankly, I'm not sure! She could do any and everything for all we know."

I make myself say, "That's fantastic," even though I fear I may be sick. _Play along, Katia._

"She's by far the most successful subject. I have hope that her brother will prove just as lucrative." _Lucrative? Did he just call a boy "lucrative?"_ Unconsciously, my hands fold into fists. _Deck him,_ a part of me screams. "Don't be surprised if you have some company tonight, Ridley. Everyone will want to see her."

Every time I begin to think that Dr. List isn't all that bad, he does something that proves me extremely wrong.

Instead of going to my desk, I walk over to Pietro's room. I lean against the glass wall between us and he glances at me from the end of his bed. Neither of us is happy with this arrangement. I've always heard twins are abnormally close and the Maximoffs are no exception. I know they must be orphans because whose parents would stand by and let their children do this kind of thing? So they are closer than standard twins. They only have each other. _And me,_ I think. _Whether they know it or not, they have me._

At that thought, I tell the scientists and agents meandering in front of Wanda's cell to move on and let her rest. None of them acts like they're going to listen to me but at a nod from Dr. List, they disperse. Pietro gives me a grateful look but he doesn't thank me for it. I don't have to have "mental capabilities" to understand that he wants to be the one standing up for her. Unfortunately, I'm the one in the position to help her, not him.

I want to ask Wanda how she's doing, if she feels okay, but I don't get the chance. Agents Basso and Smith enter the large hallway of living quarters and desks. I throw one of my displeased looks to Pietro and head to sit at my table. _This is going to be a long night._

Both Agent Basso and Agent Smith seem insulted that I was even allowed to be on this mission. Of course, that's the attitude of every person on this team, other than Dr. List, but with them, it's been particularly malicious. Antagonizing me is their favorite pastime. I wish I could say that I go right back at them with the same vitriol but then I'm the one that gets in trouble. I'd be surprised if Agent Smith or Basso has ever received more than a slap on the wrist from Von Strucker. They're like bullies from a high school that I never attended.

"What can she do?" I hear Smith say to Basso. They are standing in front of Wanda's cell. I recognize anxiety on her pretty face and my fingers curl around the edge of my desk. _Play it cool,_ I command myself. It would be so incredibly simple to give them a piece of my mind but if I do that, they'll see it coming when I finally attempt to free the twins and everyone else.

"Apparently she can manipulate people's minds," Basso replies. He's flipping a butterfly knife open and closed rapidly.

"You mean she's telepathic?" Well, if she can read their minds, it's no wonder that Wanda looks concerned.

"That and a lot more." Even after working in the labs the past couple of months, I've never seen anything like the attention that's been shown to Wanda today. Either her powers are genuinely awe-inspiring or she's abnormally strong for this stage of the game. I hope it's a bit of both.

"Show us something!" Smith says to her. She flinches. My grey eyes shift to Pietro's cell and he is seething. So am I.

"She's been showing off for hours," I interrupt. "She needs to rest up. Doctor's orders." Not true but what do they know?

"Ridley!" Agent Basso exclaims, faking surprise. "We had no idea you were here! But we should have since you've proclaimed yourself the twins' bodyguard, haven't you?" Smith laughs in response and I feel my nails press into my palms.

I sarcastically laugh, even though that's pretty much exactly what I want to be. I don't want anyone to look at them sideways or say the wrong thing or _experiment_ on them. From the moment my scope landed on them in the square, I've liked the introverted girl and her beautiful brother. While I've known from the beginning that Pietro and Wanda weren't the only Sokovians who agreed to be here, they've been the two I care the most about. Maybe I assume the adults knew what they were doing on some level, trickery or not. Maybe I just remember their anger and the way Pietro bumped into me and apologized. They are normal kids my age, with the life I might have had were it not for S.H.I.E.L.D. and it's hard not to like them.

"Bodyguard, no. Assistant to their physician, yes," I reply. Agent Basso snaps his butterfly knife closed and sets it on my desk, as if he needs both hands to decree that I'm a liar.

"Oh, come on, Ridley," says Smith. "You fall asleep at your desk every night and work with them every day. You're like their guard dog."

"Scruffy like one too," Basso mentions under his breath and they both chuckle. I shut my eyes. _Done. I am so done._

"Think whatever you want but if you exhaust that girl's powers, you'll have to contend with Dr. List and Baron Von Strucker," I say. I make myself focus on Agents Basso and Smith rather than looking behind them at the twins. I don't know how they're reacting and I don't want to. They see me take this kind of thing a lot, honestly, but it doesn't make it any easier.

"Actually, Dr. List encouraged us to come down here." _Damn._ "Said she's a 'miracle' and everyone needs to see what she can do." They think they've got me.

"Yeah, she is but even 'miracles' need sleep so move on."

"What authority do you even have here, Ridley?" Agent Smith questions. "Aren't you the equivalent of an unpaid intern? Doing the things no one else wants to do?"

I stand up and cross my arms. "Well, I was chosen for this mission because I'm the best sharpshooter other than Clint Barton."

"God, I hate him," Smith mutters.

"Well, what are you without your gun?" Basso asks. _Nothing,_ I think. _A trigger finger attached to a threadbare girl. An annoyance to everyone._ When I purse my lips, Agent Basso only smiles. "You've done nothing but ride on your daddy's coattails."

"And what was he? A Level Two?" They both laugh again.

"Very funny," I reply. "I've _never_ heard that before."

"Look, we're just questioning why a kid would want to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. at all."

"At this point, me too," I whisper.

"Surely, you've got an aunt or a grandma or something."

"Oh no, Ridley's a lone wolf," Basso says. "She's got nobody but the agency. No friends, no family, no one." It feels like a knife twists in my gut. _I've always been alone and I will always be alone._

"That's very true," I respond a little too quickly. "You're right… and I'm also right. Wanda is exhausted and I'm sure hearing your voices is only making it worse." Agent Basso steps away, jokingly offended. "And some of us actually have some work to do so I'll see you tomorrow."

"Have fun cleaning your gun, kid." Agent Smith acts like he's going to ruffle my hair and I duck him.

"Leave me alone, old man."

I'm absolutely relieved when they leave. I stand beside my table, eagerly waiting for the doors to the labs to close behind them. When I see the doors shut, I relax the fist that's been clutching my shirt and sigh.

"Sorry about all that," I say to them both, even though I'm only looking at Wanda. "Are you feeling okay?" When she nods, this time there is no uncertainty on her face. Instead, she seems to be looking at me as if she's just now seeing me for the first time. _Maybe she_ can _read minds._ "Good. Well, I think I'll go to bed early tonight. I know. Can you believe it?"

I walk back towards my desk and notice that Agent Basso never picked up his butterfly knife. I grab it, run my fingers over its metal, and pocket it.

Pietro and Wanda don't say a word to me, though I can see small signs of pity in their expressions. _Don't feel sorry for me,_ I mentally command them. _I deserve this because I've stood by and let these things happen to you._ A part of me questions what I could have done to save them sooner that wouldn't have resulted in failure but another part of me says that anything is better than idly watching, like I've done the past few months. If it failed, what does it matter? At least I'd know that I'd done what I could for them and the others.

Not for the first time, I wonder what I've done that's made them care for me. Without even a word said to each other, Wanda and Pietro have decided I'm worth being friends with. Perhaps I'm an easy target and they want the information I can give them. Maybe I'm the only other person their age that they know (the reciprocal is true for me). Or what if, simply, the explanation is that they want to continue participating and they're just sorry that I get kicked around.

I fitfully sleep in my bunk, tossing and turning. I pray that Wanda will survive this when no one else has and I wish that Pietro never develops powers. The next morning, I realize that my second request hasn't come true.

Never one to be outdone, Pietro develops abilities shortly after Wanda does. Today I stand with the group of gawking scientists and agents, watching him run across his room in a flash of blue. There are times when none of us even see him moving. I look at him all day, unaware of the comings and goings of others, absolutely mesmerized. When I step back and am able to see both cells, I can watch Wanda and Pietro at the same time. While Pietro just appears utterly caged in and eager to break out, Wanda seems curious, finally exercising her telekinesis. She switches between lifting things like blocks and books and tearing them apart. Every now and then, she looks my way and genuinely smiles. I find myself pondering whether she really can read minds and if indeed she can, what has she seen in mine?

Since I didn't get to check vitals this morning like I usually do, I have to check them now. I don't see the point in doing this every day because there are rarely any changes but I don't complain. For all I know, the Sokovians enjoy the opportunity to talk to someone who isn't taking them to a lab.

Pietro is my last stop because Wanda is being fawned over by Dr. List in the next room. He's not zipping around the room in a blur, which I'm grateful for. I open his door and walk in. I'm nervous to do this because I'm worried that these abilities will spell their deaths. But I'm going to do my best to not let onto that.

"How are you feeling?" I ask, running a hand through my brown hair.

"Good," he replies. " _Really_ good." I quickly look him over and see nothing to worry about. He's the same as always, good looking and smiling.

"Great!" I say, dropping my little bag of medical supplies on the bed. I reach inside to get a couple of things. "I'll try to do this fast but-" I cut off when I notice that he's no longer sitting near me. I turn around quickly and see that Pietro is standing right behind me with his arms crossed. "I didn't even see you do that!" I exclaim.

"I know!" He laughs, which is an entirely magnificent sound, and grins down at me.

"I bet you're eager to stretch your legs, aren't you?" He nods. "I'll see what I can do about that." When I look up at him, he's still smiling, broad-shouldered and tall. "But first, let's get this over with."

"'Over with?'" he questions. "I am insulted." My lips curve into a smile.

"Well, I've got reheated pasta for dinner and I'm really looking forward to it."

"Ah, I understand," he says, sitting down in front of me.

"I guess we've finally got a reason for that quick pulse of yours, huh?" I say when he offers me his wrist.

"And you always thought I was going to have a heart attack, no?"

"I did," I respond with a laugh. "Nobody took that seriously." _What else is new?_

Pietro is quiet until I finish all my tests. As I take off the blood pressure cuff, he gazes up at me, blue eyes earnest, and says, "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah," I respond skeptically. I wonder if he wants to see Wanda so that he can show off what he can do.

"Why are you working for these people?" His accented voice is so low that I can barely hear him. His tone isn't judgy. In fact, it sounds more like why-do-you-put-up-with-this. Dr. List walks by and Pietro quickly gives me his wrist so I can look like I have a reason for being here.

"I want to be S.H.I.E.L.D. because I want to help people." I can tell what he's going to say next so I tell him, "I know it doesn't look like that's what I'm doing but it's what I want to do."

"You did not know of the experiments," he replies, as if that makes it any better. _I've still let them happen, begrudgingly or not._

"No," I say. "I thought S.H.I.E.L.D. was better than that." Again, there's a look of sympathy on his face, like I'm the one who's been suffering rather than he and his sister. "Why'd you ask?"

Pietro shrugs, playing it off, and the back of his fingers graze my forearm. "I just think you are too-"

"Young?" I interrupt. He flashes a brilliant smile at me.

"I was going to say 'pretty.' You are too pretty."

"And I would say you're very kind if I didn't know you were trying to save face." He laughs and I let go of his wrist. He looks down for a moment and I see a flash of white in his hair. "You know you've got a lock of grey hair?"

"Do not joke. I'm too young for that."

"No, I'm serious." I take the streak of white between my fingers and lift it. He looks at his reflection in the glass wall and appears rather shocked.

"It is nothing," he says, looking back at me.

I run the strand of silver through my fingers over and over, clenching my jaw. My mind flickers to the stolen butterfly knife in my jacket pocket. I could walk out of this cell, flip it open, and kill Dr. List. He would never see it coming. I've doubted my ability to kill in close quarters before but I know in my heart that I could do this. For a moment, I can even see it happening.

"Why does this make you angry?" Pietro asks. _It makes me angry because you're innocent, because you were manipulated into being here with false promises, because you might be dying and there is nothing I can do to save you._

"You asked me a question. Can I ask you one?" He nods and doesn't tell me to stop twirling his hair around my fingers. I keep it between them, as if letting it go might give him some deadly disease. "What have they done to you?" I can tell he's going to question my meaning but I look at him, stare him right in those pretty blue eyes, and he understands what I'm asking.

"They have not told you?" I shake my head in response. "It is not… pleasant." My heart sinks because this is confirmation of everything I've feared. _He doesn't want to talk about it._ "I will not tell you. If you know, what difference would it make?"

I glance out of the glass door and see no one so I lean closer, letting his hair fall from my hand. "I can get you out of here," I whisper. "You and Wanda both. But it'll take some time and I need help."

His mouth curls into a smirk. "What sort of help?"


	5. Chapter 5

_Bad. What a bad idea,_ I think after a few days. I showed my hand to him far too early. _You were so rash, Katia. Careless. Over eager._ But God, had I been angry and I had had enough. But now, I have to do something much sooner than I'd like.

I groan and stop chewing on my pen. First, I'll have to bring Wanda into the fold and that can't wait long. Second… Second, I actually have to formulate a plan. As of now, that plan amounts to getting out of the compound. Frankly, that may be enough. Disappear into the city, get in contact with Clint or someone else I trust (well, Clint _is_ the only person working for S.H.I.E.L.D. that I trust), and nomad around until extraction comes for us. The twins and I could make it that long, I'm positive.

I say "the twins and I" because we're all that's left. The last week has finished off the other participants. All five in a matter of days. The entire mood of the base has gone from bad to worse. There is no one else to experiment on without Dr. List going out and courting more Sokovians. Wanda and Pietro are officially the only successes and there are no signs that they won't continue to be. There's been no indication that Von Strucker is considering letting them out though. I'm sure my begging on that front has done nothing to help them.

 _Well, I'm going to let them out,_ I decide, _and I'm going to do it tonight._

With my plan settled for the time being, I return my attention to the task at hand; updating medical charts on my computer. I key in a code to allow me access to the program and it denies me. I sigh and do it again. "ACCESS DENIED," takes up my monitor.

"Is it?" I whisper. I shut the computer down and toss my pen onto my desk. "Technology is _not_ my friend."

I've just been trying to waste time anyway, treading water until the rest of the base is quiet and dark. I get up and walk to Wanda's cell before I can talk myself out of it. "How do you feel about seeing your brother?" I ask. She smiles so widely that I'm utterly charmed. I try to do the math and figure out how long it's been since they've really interacted in person, not through a glass wall or through nods on their way back from a lab. "That's what I thought." I type her code in and the door slides open. She walks out, her feet bare.

Darts of red energy surround her fingers for a brief moment. "I am still learning," she tells me.

"It's all right. I know." Her excitement becomes palpable when she sees Pietro, silver hair or not. It took only days for it all to go white. _Maybe it's just aesthetic and not for any medical reason. He's going to be okay._ He looks good even now but that could be due to Wanda's presence.

"Why are you doing this?" My fingers pause over the keypad in Pietro's door. "I am grateful, of course! I am just… curious." She's very good at playing innocent. So good, in fact, that anyone else might be convinced that she hasn't already figured out what I'm doing. But she isn't fooling me.

I shrug then reply, "I thought you could read minds," with a grin. She'll understand the deal soon enough and this saves me from floundering around for ten minutes, trying to come up with a succinct response.

I believe I hear her say, "I can," as the door slides open but there is no opportunity to question her. She rushes in and is engulfed in a flash of blue. They collapse to the floor, enfolded in each other's arms. Wanda buries her head in Pietro's neck as he asks her if she's all right multiple times. _Wh_ y _did I wait so long to do this?_ I wonder.

I try to imagine loving someone that much but come up blank. I can't even say I loved my parents as much as Pietro and Wanda love each other. The only person I could even say registers on my Richter scale of affection is Clint, the man I've been in constant competition with since the moment I picked the rifle as my weapon. It's a friendly competition and I think Clint does care about me, punk that I am. But it isn't huge-hug-while-shedding-tears affection. It's a you're-a-younger-version-of-me fondness.

I realize the door hasn't closed because I'm still standing in its wake. I step out of the way and head back to my desk. I want to let them have the night and give them some semblance of privacy.

I pull my map of the base out of my jacket pocket and unfold it, placing on it on the table in front of me. The only place I can see us escaping out of unscathed is an old tunnel where the compound used to receive supplies by train. Nothing comes in or out of there now. It's an outdated structure for a much more outdated building. The only snag in this part of the plan happens to be that Von Strucker has finally gotten the electric shield to work. But people like Agent Basso are constantly coming and going so leaving might not set off its security system. Might. Once again, I wish that I could somehow hack into the mainframe.

I try that for a while afterward, as I've done hundreds of times. I'm never even able to reach the internet (which would be enough to get a message out). _You would think they don't trust me,_ I ponder sarcastically. I even manage to muster a laugh at that.

Then a thought occurs to me. How will we even get down to the tunnel? I've never seen its entrance from the inside. Actually, I've never seen its entrance from the outside. I run a frustrated hand through my hair. _I'll have to snoop around._ But that's an awful lot of ground to cover and I just don't have the time. I turn my head to look at Wanda and Pietro. They are now sitting on the floor, still rather close, and having a heated conversation. I know what it's about without attempting to eavesdrop. He's telling her all of my grand promises to save them. I fold up my map and stick it back in my pocket. They'll just have to help me find the fastest way to the tunnel. Pietro is quick on his feet anyway.

I hate to break up their reunion, as it seems to really mean a lot to them, but all of us need rest. I've been told if I fall asleep at my desk again, they'll take me off duty. For one thing, I don't know what "off duty" even implies because sending me back to S.H.I.E.L.D. is definitely no longer an option and I would reject that out of hand. I instinctively know that what's been happening here in Sokovia isn't a one-off situation. S.H.I.E.L.D. is… I don't know what S.H.I.E.L.D. is. And I can't just drop off in communication with the twins. This is going to happen soon, maybe even this week.

They are ready by the time I open the cell. I walk inside just to make things easier. "Sorry I couldn't give you more time," I say.

"It was enough," Wanda replies. She turns back to Pietro, pushing her wall of brunette hair behind her shoulders, and envelops him in another hug. He presses his lips to her forehead while her fingers dig into his back. It occurs to me again that no one has ever loved me that amply and it's probable that no one ever will. They are so consumed by each other that I feel like I'm intruding on an incredibly intimate moment. I start to take a step back, as if I might just leave the room and let them stay together, but they break from their hold and Pietro grabs my wrist.

Something twists in my stomach at the contact, a weird feeling that's somewhere between floating and sinking.

"Thank you, Katia," he says and drops my wrist.

"Yeah, well, I should have done it sooner but-"

"You have had other things to do," Wanda interjects. She reaches for me, her fingers brush the skin of my hand, and her eyes go red. I flinch and she pulls away.

"What was that?" I ask.

"We had to know if we can trust you," she explains. "And we can."

"I told you!" Pietro says rather impatiently.

"So you're okay with my lousy rescue mission?" I ask Wanda. She nods emphatically.

"'Lousy?'" Pietro questions, his broad arms crossed over his chest.

"Well, some kinks still need to be ironed out but I think we can do it. There's a pretty good exit that should let us out on ground level. I just haven't canvassed it yet because I've never exactly… been there. Not confidence inspiring, I know, but I thought you could help me find the quickest route there."

"Done," he responds cockily.

"What can I do?" Wanda asks.

"I've been hearing you can do it all mind manipulation-wise," I tell her. "Could you say… knock anybody out that happened across our path?"

"Absolutely," she replies.

"Great. I'll have my rifle but that's the only weapon I have access to so we'll have to rely on both your powers pretty heavily."

"And you are a good shot?" Pietro says skeptically.

"Please! I could shoot a Coke can off your pretty head at 1000 yards. Don't worry. I can shoot." Wanda laughs at my response and I find that makes me feel good.

"You have killed people before? People you know?"

I shake my head. I've done simulation training, skeet shooting, and I've shot apples off the top of another person's head. I've done it all. I'm good and I wouldn't be here if they thought I would hesitate. But I've never killed anyone else. This is my first mission, after all. "But don't worry. I won't have a problem taking a single one of them out." They both smile and I do too. "My plan right now, which is lousy like I said, is basically to get out into the city so I can contact someone I trust to help us." They seem uncertain of involving another person, particularly one they don't know. "This guy isn't a thing like the people working here. He's a good friend of mine and he wouldn't stand for this either." They're still skeptical. "He's an Avenger. I know he's got a safe house and if we could get there-"

"An Avenger?!" they both exclaim. It isn't excitement in their voices but anger.

"Yes. What's wrong?"

"You know the Avengers?" Wanda asks.

"Well, I've met a few but I only really know two; Natasha and Clint, who I'm calling."

"What about Tony Stark?" Pietro says.

"I met him once and he was exactly how you'd think he'd be; cocky, jerk-ish, smells like money. Well… he doesn't really smell like money but he _was_ bathed in an expensive cologne-" I cut off when I see their faces. "What have you got against the Avengers and Tony Stark?"

Then they tell me what happened to them when they were ten. I sit on the edge of Pietro's bed and listen, elbows propped on my knees and my hands hiding my mouth. I can see them, a pretty boy and girl sitting with their equally beautiful parents for dinner. The explosion. The deaths of their mother and father. Cowering underneath the bed for two days, worried that any move they might make could set off that second shell. A second shell emblazoned with the Stark Industries logo. They waited, on edge, for days for Tony Stark to kill them.

They admit to me this is a moment that they have retreaded over and over in their minds. Pietro is stuck on not saving his parents. He grabbed Wanda but that wasn't enough. If he had been faster, maybe he could have saved one of them too. For Wanda, it is the second shell. They should have somehow moved it once it didn't immediately go off. If she had been stronger, she would have done it herself. These are eerie confessions for me to hear because they are both capable of doing those things now. I wonder if this somehow impacted the powers they received or if it was just absolute irony.

"That's why you volunteered," I mutter when they finish and I feel awful because worse than just working for Von Strucker, I have schmoozed with the killer of their parents and his friends. "I know this is nothing compared to what's happened to you and I know it won't mean much but it's like everything I thought I knew has been turned on its head these past few months. This isn't the S.H.I.E.L.D. I thought I was signing up for because I thought everyone who worked for them or with them was a hero like Clint and Natasha and Captain America. People who wanted to save other people's lives, not experiment on them or design weapons that are used to collapse civilian apartment buildings."

"You _are_ trying to save people," Pietro replies and in a way, it is a consoling thought. _But I didn't save the others._ As that crosses my mind, Wanda takes hold of my hand and gives me a smile before letting go. I'm pleased they aren't automatically grouping me in with their idea of Tony Stark, which I initially thought must be misguided, but there are many things I didn't want to believe that I now do about S.H.I.E.L.D. Why should Iron Man be any different? He _did_ amass his fortune in weapons dealing and that would've been during the time that Pietro and Wanda say this happened. Perhaps he's a hero now but he wasn't always and opinions like theirs, ideas that have been rooted in their consciousness since childhood, would be hard to break. Tony Stark is a battle I'm not willing to fight, not when their idea of him might be correct.

"So you're still willing to go along with this?" I figure it's worth asking after this conversation. They look at each other and then nod. "Look, I know it makes you both uncomfortable but I've got no one else to call _but_ Clint. I know it's hard to believe but I don't exactly have many friends. And of the few friends I do have, Clint is the only one guaranteed to take me seriously." They consider this because they've both witnessed the ridicule I endure at the hands of the team here. "He's discrete, I promise you. Besides, he owes me a few favors."

"We do not need anyone else," Pietro asserts, "especially not an Avenger."

"The city won't hide us for long. Von Strucker and his men are incredibly resourceful and they know the layout of the town better than the people who live there. They'll find us and they'll find us quickly."

"They will not _catch_ us."

"You mean they won't catch _you."_

He scoffs. "I can carry you."

"Wanda and I both?" _Now that_ would _be a miracle._

"If I take turns, they still will not get us."

"Maybe… but where would we go?"

"Not the city," Wanda says. "The city is not safe. We have to go into the forest."

"The forest?" I question. On one hand, the woods at the base of the mountain have remained largely unexplored by S.H.I.E.L.D. and would provide much better coverage than the medieval town. We could remain hidden out there far longer than in the city. But on the other hand, I could never gather the sheer amount of supplies we would need to survive longer than a week. It's not even winter yet and Sokovia is already bitterly cold. Besides, what would we do once we get into the forest? Attempt to illegally cross the border and be in even worse shape than we are now? "And after that?"

"We must figure that out later," she tells me.

"Well, I agree that for the time being, the most important thing is to get you both out of here… but I've got to question the woods. I mean, the three of us with nothing but a rifle and the clothes on our backs? You don't even have shoes!"

"You have that knife you stole," Pietro says.

"Oh, I'm sorry. The three of us with nothing but a rifle, a butterfly knife, and the clothes on our backs."

"We can survive out there. Pietro and I have done similar things," Wanda interjects, cutting me off before I can express anymore doubt. "Can you get food?"

"Maybe," I reply, "but not a lot. Not enough for three people to survive on for a good chunk of time."

"Whatever you take shall be enough," Pietro tells me. "We can ration." I remember my first night near them, when Pietro and Wanda devoured their meager dinner in minutes and I handed Wanda my apple. _They've been hungry before,_ I remind myself. _And they've lived through hardships far worse than anything I can imagine. I will be relying on_ them _for survival, rather than the other way around._

"Okay," I say. "I'll try and grab whatever I can over the next few days. Clothes, food, the works." They nod at me again. "But if any of this goes south, I've _got_ to get a message to Clint. He could be our only hope." Pietro clenches his jaw and Wanda hardens her eyes.

"Why do you trust him?" Pietro laments. "You say he is not like Dr. List and the others but how do you know?"

"I know because he's never treated me like they have." _Because he has taken me under his wing and looked out for me. Because he hates when bad things are done to innocent people._ "I get that there's nothing I can say to make you trust him but you're going to have to trust me. The three of us have to be a team. Otherwise, no one is getting out of here."

Begrudgingly, Pietro murmurs, "All right." That's enough for Wanda as well.

With that conversation done, I return Wanda to her cell and go to bed. _Me and two Sokovian rebels living in the woods like it's_ The Walking Dead. _There's something I never saw coming,_ I think as I slide into my bunk. Realistically, I know I'll have to go against their wishes and call in Clint or Natasha. Their comfort is far less important to me than their lives. Running away is great but Von Strucker and his gang need to be blown off this rock. There's no one I'd rather have do that than Clint Barton and Natasha Romanov.

The next day, I take some time to spirit away a few things. Wanda and I are about the same size so finding her some clothes isn't hard. Whether she'd want to wear them is another question entirely. My wardrobe here consists of leggings, gym clothes, and random other ragtag hand-me-downs (just like every other facet of my life). When I can afford to buy something new, I go for stretchy and comfortable. Being a sniper requires me to spend a lot of time on the ground so I need clothing that allows me to move freely and swiftly.

Night comes quickly enough. Fingering the hole on the knee of my jeans, I shut down my computer and let out the twins.

"So our task tonight is to find the fastest way out," I say and pull out my map. I spread it out on my desk and the two of them hover behind me. "This," I point to the train tunnel, "is probably the best way to escape undetected." I look over each of my shoulders at them. Wanda moves around me to look at the map but Pietro doesn't bother. He leans closer to me, so close that he actually bumps into my back, and points out a route.

"Will this way work?" he asks, running a finger over the path he wants us to follow.

"This could also be quick," Wanda says, pointing at another course.

"Those are both awesome!" I reply. I'm so glad I don't have to do this myself because the way I picked out was much longer than these. "Let's split up. I'll take one and you guys can take the other." I pause. "But all of us need the map. Damn."

"I can run them both," Pietro says.

"I'd hate for you to have to do that by yourself when you don't know the base."

"And more than one of us should know the way out," Wanda says. "We can all go together. Pietro can run, Katia knows this place, and I…"

"Can tell us when you think we're getting lost," I finish.

She nods. "Yes."

They each outline their paths on the map and we get going. It's obvious that it's bugging Pietro to go slow so at times, I tell him to run ahead and come back. _It probably doesn't matter what route we take when he's moving at the speed of sound._ But I remind myself that our speed won't matter if we don't know where we're going.

"What happened to your parents?" Wanda asks once as Pietro darts off. He's got the map so we're just trying to walk a straight line.

"My dad was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and he was killed on a mission," I reply, wanting to ignore what I now know about the organization he worked for. "And I can't say I ever really knew my mom… but she died too."

Wanda nods and before she can say anything else, an agent wanders out in front of us. I feel my blood run cold and unconsciously, my fingers go for the butterfly knife. Before I have the chance to grab it, Wanda moves in front of me and flicks her fingers. I stumble backwards as her red energy hits the agent in his temples. His eyes flash red for a brief moment. He blinks them twice and then turns around to go back the way he came, as if he's not even aware of us.

"So what can't you do?" I question when she looks back at me with a smirk. Wanda laughs and never answers me.

Pietro returns after that, saying he'll walk with us on the next path. Wanda takes the map and walks behind Pietro and I to track the turns and stairs we take. As we head deeper into the compound, there is less of a chance of running into anyone but we're in totally unfamiliar territory to me. We go down dark, stone stairwells accented by small florescent lights. For the most part, they are small and narrow, which will work to our advantage and impair anyone following us.

"You are a sniper, yes?" Pietro asks. I think he's trying to talk to me so he can keep at my slow pace. Wanda's straggling behind, still fumbling around with the map to make sure we're on the right track.

I nod. "Yeah," I reply, looking over at him.

"So you are never in the fighting?" A piece of hair falls into his eyes and he quickly brushes it away.

"Well, no. I stick to high ground. My job is to keep an eye on the action and take out the threats I see. I don't really get into the thick of it." He nods at me. "I've been trained to see better from a distance so I'm not very good at hand-to-hand combat."

"That is no problem. I am." I laugh.

"How do you know that? Did you get in a lot of fights before Dr. List picked you up?"

He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly and says, "Well…"

"No," Wanda says from a little ways behind us, "and do not let him tell you differently, Katia. He's just trying to impress you."

"Wanda," he groans. I look over my shoulder at her and she innocently shrugs.

I really laugh then and tell Pietro, "She got you there, didn't she?"

We finally hit a landing and it's a dead end. Two walls and a short hallway that goes nowhere. "Wanda, did we take a wrong turn somewhere?" I ask.

"No, we have followed the path exactly," she responds.

"We will just take my route," Pietro says confidently. Wanda comes forward and hands me the map. I study it for a little while. She's right. We've done nothing wrong.

"Why would there be a dead end here when the map says there's a path?" I mutter. "I don't get it."

Pietro shrugs and leans back against the wall at the bottom of the stairway. "Maybe the map is old." He shifts and I hear a whoosh of air. Pietro gasps and I barely have the time to register what's happening before I drop the map and grab his arm to pull him toward me. I let him go when I see what's behind him. It's a dark staircase with flickering lights.

"You opened a secret door," I say in awe.

"Well, yes," he replies, as if that had been his intent all along. "As a matter of fact, I did." Wanda rolls her eyes and picks up the map.

"This is amazing." I go to step inside but Wanda and Pietro stop me. Each has their hand on an arm and concern on their faces.

"What if it is dangerous?" _They care about me,_ I think and that realization makes me unbelievably happy. It's been a long time since I felt like anyone cared more about my wellbeing than what I could do for them. Clint and the twins are the only exceptions… and I haven't talked to Clint in the months I've been here.

"What's the worst that could be down there?" I ask. Both look at me as if I'm sweetly naïve. "Come on, we might at least find something useful." I'm thinking about the weapons they might have sequestered down here. I could pick one up and we could leave tonight. _But we need supplies… and I want my rifle._

"We should not stay long," Wanda warns.

"We won't," I agree.

"And we stay close," Pietro says, his grip tightening on my arm. I nod.

"Absolutely."

At that, the three of us go down the steps, wary of what we might find. I'm concerned about running into somebody. Nonetheless, with Wanda, I doubt that will be a problem. But what's in the secret room is nothing I imagined. At first, we just walk through tables and tables of electrical robotic parts. I think of Tony Stark and the twins' hatred of him. _But this isn't his work,_ I realize when I pick up a sheet of metal resembling a face. _He's far better than this._

"Katia." Pietro's voice is low, like he's afraid he might scare me. "Have you seen this?" I look up towards him and shriek.

"Get out of here! We need to go and we need to go _now_! That's a Chitauri… something!" I exclaim. I've never known what those giant alien worms are called but I saw one slither through Manhattan, destroying everything in its wake. And here it is, suspended in the air of this giant basement.

"It's okay!" he says. "I think it is dead." When my pulse finally goes back to normal, I'm able to really look at it. I still feel worried that it might break free of its chains and come down upon us.

"What the hell is S.H.I.E.L.D. doing with this thing?" I ask of nobody in particular.

"This is one of the aliens from the Battle of New York?" Wanda questions.

"Yes," I reply, "and they're horrible. I don't care if it's dead, we need to get away from it."

"That is fine with me," Wanda responds. She moves to stand by my side and crosses her arms. I don't need to ask if she's anxious. "Pietro, come on! Let's go!" He's rummaging through papers at a rather messy desk. _I bet that's Agent Basso's._ Behind the desk is what looks like a typical bulletin board and it is cluttered with news articles.

"What is this?" I ask when Wanda and I reach his side. That feeling that's been rolling around in the pit of my stomach since I got to Sokovia only intensifies.

"All of these papers say S.H.I.E.L.D. has fallen," he replies.

"What?" I whisper. The focal point of the bulletin board is a page that proudly proclaims, "CAPTAIN AMERICA APPREHENDED." "Why would they arrest Steve Rogers? He's a saint."

Wanda points to a paper beside the one I was studying. It's entitled, "CUT OFF ONE HEAD…"

"Cut off one head and two more shall take its place," I say.

"What is that?" Wanda asks.

"That's Hydra's motto. I had to learn all about it back home. Why is Hydra in the news?"

"Because Hydra is S.H.I.E.L.D.," Pietro says and puts a piece of paper in my hand.

"That's impossible. Captain America finished off Hydra in World War II." Pietro shakes his head.

"Read it." I do as he says and scan the article. Hydra survived within S.H.I.E.L.D. after the death of Red Skull and apprehension of their operatives. If I'm reading this right, it sounds like they were sleeper agents waiting for the right time to come forward. And it appears that they have. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secrets have been released onto the internet, including what they believe to be high profile Hydra agents. I don't need to read Baron Von Strucker's name to know he's on the list because in the last paragraph of the article, it says the remnants of S.H.I.E.L.D. are pursuing the Chitauri scepter… and they know it is in a Hydra agent's hands.

Rather than the shock I should be feeling, I'm absolutely relieved. "It all makes sense now," I say. "I was accidentally sent on a Hydra mission. S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't doing this."

"Baron Von Strucker and everyone else here is Hydra," Wanda says, allowing it to sink in.

"I knew there was something fishy about this. I knew it." I go through more pages and they all corroborate the story. Agent Basso and the others are probably happy they don't have to hide anymore. That's why they even bothered printing off hard copies. "My whole team is composed of Neo-Nazis," I say and that really brings the concept home. "Oh God, we've got to get out of here. I knew they were crazy but I never suspected this."

"Let's do it tomorrow," Pietro says. Wanda and I agree. We can't wait any longer than that.

 **Hey! Sorry for the little wait. I had a lot to do over Memorial Day weekend. I hope you liked the chapter! I was planning on doing the escape attempt this chapter but it just ended up making better sense for me to split it into parts. So you have that to look forward to next. I'm excited about that and giving Katia a power! Thank you for all the feedback! Please continue to let me know what you're thinking!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm sorry for the wait and the short chapter! This has been a hectic week and I'm sure my editing was off in this chapter, haha. I hope you enjoy it anyway! As always, I only own Katia.**

"Wanda, you've got our supplies," I say, assembling my rifle.

"Yes," she replies, throwing my backpack on. She shifts from one foot to another in a pair of my old tennis shoes.

"And we're taking Pietro's way out." I load my gun and feel Pietro lift the map out of my back pocket.

"I remember it well," he says. "It should not take us long." But he still unfolds the map and looks over it.

I attach my strap and slip through it, my rifle carefully nestled against my back. "Well, then I think we're set."

They nod, neither of them nearly as nervous as I am. I've been anxious all day, to the point of actually being sick to my stomach. Luckily, I don't believe Dr. List thought anything of it. He just warned me of the dangers of sleep deprivation.

The three of us walk side by side with Wanda and I flanking Pietro. We don't run, assuming that would make more noise and allow for more error. Even Pietro doesn't complain about that, as he doesn't seem to want to leave either of us behind. I appreciate that because whatever punishment I'd receive would be far worse than anything Hydra would do to the twins.

"Either of you know how to start a fire?" I mutter. "Because I can't say I do."

"I've done it before," Pietro responds quietly.

"And I am sure I can do it," Wanda whispers. I constantly forget everything she can do. Telekinesis allows Wanda to essentially do whatever she wants. Maybe being in the woods with them won't be so bad.

"Who is showing off now, little sister?"

"'Little' sister?" she questions. "You are only twelve minutes older than me."

"Yes, twelve minutes _older._ " Wanda and I both laugh at that.

"I bet you use that excuse all the time," I say to Pietro.

"He does," Wanda replies. Pietro only gives me a dazzling smile. It's enough to make a girl go weak in the knees. _But not this girl,_ I think. _Not now._ Wanda and Pietro link their fingers.

We walk only a little farther when a noise goes off. It's a piercing alarm that makes me want to fall to the ground and cover my ears. The lights lining the walls begin to blink in and out randomly, like they're supposed to be in tune with the blaring alarm but just can't keep up with it.

"What is that?!" Pietro yells, one hand grabbing me and pulling me closer as the other brings in Wanda. She's wincing.

"It's the security system!" I scream. _I didn't even know we had a security system._ But it's the only explanation I can think of.

"What?!" Wanda shrieks. I throw up my hands to show that I don't know what's happening either. Her eyes widen with a look over Pietro's shoulder and she yells, "Get down!"

In the next moment, I'm on the stone floor beneath Pietro. I move against him to get my rifle to stop digging into my back and he actually grins at me. Gunshots keep me from responding. My fingers clutch the fabric of his shirt because I can't see Wanda and I have no proof that she isn't hurt. But I should know better than that.

"All right!" Wanda calls. I barely have the time to register that no one's shooting at us anymore before I'm back on my feet.

"Thanks!" I shout because that godawful alarm is still blaring. I look back and see several members of my Hydra teamed splayed out on the floor. Unconscious or dead, I don't care.

Pietro tugs on my arm and we all start running. I slip through my strap and just hold my gun in my hands. _I'm going to have to shoot someone, why deny it?_

Pietro pulls Wanda and I into a hallway and pushes us against the wall so that we are unseen. He keeps a hand against my stomach as maybe ten men dash by the hallway opening. All of them were carrying artillery and I know that it is for me. They _might_ risk injuring the twins but they'll want me dead. Pietro lets us go and I bend over, barely able to keep my rifle in my sweaty hands, and try to catch my breath.

He emerges from the hallway first and I start when I hear him groan. Wanda and I run out only to see Pietro squirming to get out of Agent Smith's grasp. There's a hand around his throat and a gun to his head. I can't believe that Pietro hasn't broken free and dashed away. Wanda gasps, frozen in place beside me. I tell myself that it's almost certainly a show. Hydra wouldn't kill one of their star pupils, not in cold blood. But the barrel of that handgun is pressing against his forehead and I really don't like that.

I don't give Wanda the chance to try any of her usual tricks. I raise my rifle and yell, "Let him go!"

"We knew you were behind this, Ridley! You're obsessed with the twins!" Agent Smith responds. "Do you think we don't check the security cameras?" _We have security cameras?_

"I said, let him go or I'll shoot you!" I try to calm myself down. They're near enough together that one of my bullets could graze Pietro and looking through my scope won't help at such a close range. Besides, it's much easier to make a clean headshot when the gun is mounted.

"You can't kill me, Ridley!"

For a second, I don't think I can do it. Can I really kill someone, even someone who's been as horrible to me as Agent Smith has been? But it doesn't come down to the things Agent Smith has done to me. It comes down to the fact that he's got a gun pressed to Pietro's temple, a boy who literally just saved me from being shot. Agent Smith shifts and Pietro winces.

I fire the rifle and Agent Smith stumbles back from Pietro. I got him in the shoulder. Wanda runs to Pietro and takes him into her arms. I shoot Smith again, this time in the gut, and he hits the ground. I don't hesitate to walk over to him and fire a shot one last time, into his head.

"Thank you." I'm not sure which one of them said it. All I know is that we need to keep moving.

 _I killed somebody,_ I think. _I hated Agent Smith and I killed him._ I wish I felt a sliver of guilt, even a shred of remorse, but I know that I did what needed to be done. And neither Pietro nor Wanda had batted an eye at it.

We skid to a halt when we're approached by more Hydra agents. I drop to one knee and look through my scope, ready to shoot. Wanda jumps in front of Pietro and I instead, throwing up a pulsing shield of red. "Run!" she yells.

I stand up as Pietro looks around wildly before focusing his sights on a small entry we just passed. "It isn't the way!" he says.

"Go!"

I have no opportunity to say anything before Pietro picks me up and runs me to the hallway. I haven't even blinked when Wanda and Pietro are back by my side. "You guys are amazing!" I say when we start running again.

I'll admit that I'm shocked that all three of us have performed well under this kind of pressure. I assumed someone would freeze (namely, me) but if anyone did anything like that, the other two quickly took up for them. More than simply performing well under pressure, we've done well as a team.

After that, we only openly run into Hydra agents one time. Pietro runs through them so quickly that I don't see him but when it is over, men are scattered across the floor. We dodge other interactions by taking different turns. The original route has been thrown out the window. We want any exit we might stumble upon.

As the security alarm finally turns off, I understand that we won't find one. The three of us arrive back in the hallway of living quarters and labs and I know that we've made the mistake of doing exactly what Hydra wants. They were trying to lead us back to the center of the compound… and into open confrontation with Baron Von Strucker, Agent Basso, and Dr. List.

When I see the three of them standing near my desk, all holding guns, my stomach sinks. Dr. List is the only one of them that I feel confident in taking down and it's quite obvious from the looks on their faces that they know what happened to Agent Smith. There will be no cockiness from them, where they might assume that I'm too weak to shoot them. All three know that I murdered Agent Smith for Pietro.

Pietro grabs my wrist and pulls me backwards, like we might still have the opportunity to escape. I just turn to him and whisper, "Go. Take Wanda and leave."

He looks down at me, absolute disbelief on his face. "No," he responds. I glance to Wanda and I can tell she agrees with him.

"You are _family,_ " I stress. "I'll catch up. Please go!" We all know I won't. It's over unless Pietro and Wanda take this chance to get away. I'll be enough distraction for Von Strucker and his men… unless they kill me right off the bat. But that's still enough time for Pietro to get Wanda and himself out of here.

"Do not be foolish. We are not leaving you."

At that, Pietro pushes me and Wanda behind him. I don't know what we're thinking as we cluster together because there is no fleeing from this. I try not to think about how much I like that they didn't leave me and focus on the situation at hand. There's no getting out of this unless I kill them all and I'd prefer not to repeat my experience with Agent Smith. _I could get them all with headshots at this angle,_ I think.

"Come on, Ridley, are you going to hide behind him all night?" Agent Basso asks. I don't want to hide behind Pietro because it makes me feel spineless but there is a good reason for it. Anything that Von Strucker and Basso could throw at us might majorly injure Wanda and I. While I feel bad about pressing against Pietro's back beside her, I know that he could survive it. He's the one with the fantastic metabolism and excellent physical condition. Beside him, Wanda and I are utterly normal, fragile humans. "I figured you for a punk, Ridley, but not a coward."

"Don't antagonize them," Dr. List scolds. I look over Pietro's shoulder and can tell that Basso's gun is a tranquilizer.

"You know you're in trouble, is that it?"

"Don't move," I whisper to Pietro. Without complaint, he lets me situate my rifle atop his shoulder. I have to get on my tiptoes and lean heavily against him to see through my lens. I hope I don't knock him over. "Come any closer and I'll fire!"

"Why are you doing this, Ridley?" Dr. List asks. "You're an intelligent girl. I just don't understand why you're trying to save people that don't want to be saved."

"You tortured them and killed the others!" Wanda nestles against my side and I press my chest to Pietro's back. The cross on my lens hovers over Dr. List's head.

"You aren't able to appreciate what we're doing here yet… and that's okay."

"That's okay?! You're Nazis!"

"Nazis?" Agent Basso responds. "Technically, we work for S.H.I.E.L.D."

"This is an utter waste of time," Baron Von Strucker says in disinterest. "By now, the three of you know there will be no escaping. This was an incredibly foolish enterprise constructed by an incredibly foolish girl. The twins… you are not at fault here." The twins? Does he even know their names? "But Ridley, I won't lie and say I'll spare you." Pietro and Wanda simultaneously flinch, like they're scared of what might happen to me, but still remain silent. I don't know if they're hoping that I can talk down Von Strucker and the others or whether they just don't know what to say that would be helpful.

"And what will you do? Murder a kid in cold blood?" I respond. My heart is pounding and my breathing goes ragged. _He will kill me,_ I think. _He has wanted me dead from the beginning._

"Don't tempt me, Ridley. You won't be getting out of this one. We've got tapes of you scrounging around in the basement and plotting this ill-conceived escape attempt last night. You gunned down another agent." _"Another" agent? So I am an agent when it's convenient._

"Come out and just face us," Basso says. "It'll be easier on you that way."

"I'd rather go out like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," I say and shoot. Dr. List has unfortunately exceptional reflexes. He manages to avoid the full brunt of my shot and instinctively fires his own gun. I don't think anything of it until Pietro moans.

Agent Basso and Baron Von Strucker each shoot. I jump back from Pietro, taking my rifle with me, and he slumps to the floor in front of me. The next shot takes Wanda in the neck as she bends to make sure Pietro is okay. She falls beside him, still looking up at me.

Then I'm hit in the thigh. Even as my fingers begin to loosen their tight grip on my gun, I manage to pull a dart out of my leg and toss it to the ground. As I drop to my knees, it occurs to me that I work better lying down anyway. That I'm able to fire two more shots is a miracle. One gets Agent Basso in the leg and the other, Dr. List's left shoulder. They both yell. In the next second, I'm on my chest between Wanda and Pietro, unable to do anything but look around. _The darts weren't tranqs. They were paralytics._

I'm staring at Pietro, who is watching me. Agent Basso shoots Pietro again, this time in the back. I think he's already been hit twice.

"Would you be careful?" Dr. List groans, a hand covering his bleeding shoulder. Blood is also covering the side of his face from where my earlier bullet nicked him.

"What? He'll recover faster than the other two," Agent Basso replies, collapsing down into the chair at my desk. He starts putting pressure on his thigh. "I think the little bitch splintered a bone." _I hope so. I hope it causes blood poisoning._ "Finally! The cavalry has come!"

I hear footsteps bounding towards us and I'm suddenly yanked up off the floor after my rifle is kicked away from my grasp. Two Hydra agents, whose names I think are something like Fox and Matthews, hold me up between them. My head falls backwards without support and I watch the twins get picked up and placed back in their cells.

"Well, that was immensely stupid, wasn't it?" Baron Von Strucker asks. My head is forced forward so that my chin rests on my chest. I'm looking at Von Strucker's feet. I can't feel anything and I absolutely cannot move. "You have been a permanent annoyance to me since the moment I met you and now, I can see there was a good reason for thinking that way. Little Katia Ridley, just trying to get in with S.H.I.E.L.D." He pauses and walks closer to me. "I should just kill you, you know. Who would miss you? You have no family."

I think about how the twins didn't leave me when they had the opportunity to escape, how Pietro and Wanda saved me more than once this evening. Maybe it isn't family but it's… something.

Von Strucker pulls at my hair so that I can look at him. "But I'm not going to kill you." Out of the corner of my eye, I see Agent Basso start to smile. "Since you're such a meddler and you're so curious about the twins, I'll let you see what they go through firsthand. Dr. List is out of willing participants, as you well know, and you ran out of usefulness long before you were added to this team."

 _He wants to experiment on me. He'll still kill me, it'll just be slower._ My heart feels like it's in my throat.

"Really, you'll meet the same end result. No one has survived the experiments except the twins… and there's no reason to think that you will either."

I want to kick and scream but I'm only dragged to the cell beside Pietro's and deposited onto a bed. I lay there uncomfortably, one dead arm dangling and both feet hanging off the end of the bunk, waiting for feeling to come back.

 _It's over,_ I tell myself. _I'll be dead in a matter of months and the twins are right back where they started._

That's the main thing that comes to mind over the next few hours. That I will die and it'll happen soon because there is no way I'll survive whatever Hydra does to me. I know I'm not as strong as Wanda or Pietro.


	7. Chapter 7

_Fever, exhaustion, nausea, pains,_ I think. _What else was there?_

I'm trying to remember the stages of sickness many of the Sokovians endured before finally dying. So far, I haven't experienced anything along the lines of the flu-like symptoms the others had. I suppose that's one thing to be grateful for.

I don't know how long it's been since I was apprehended while trying to free the twins. It has to have been at least a few months but for all I know, it's been a year. It certainly feels like one has passed.

A clang distracts me from counting the various forms of illness I can recall. I pull my gray blanket over my head and pretend to be asleep. _Please pass me by,_ I pray. _Please don't take me._ My door slides open and I feel my stomach sink.

"Katia." It is Pietro's voice so I toss the blanket away from me and sit up.

The twins have been allowed out of their cells and out of their grey sweat suits. Wanda is constantly in a dress and Pietro is always wearing what looks like a track uniform. They've been given the freedom to do essentially whatever they want within the compound, including having some minimal contact with me. I talk to them pretty frequently and sometimes, they are even allowed to come in and bring me food. The situation has done a complete 180. Wanda and Pietro are the ones who stand outside and observe while I'm the prisoner locked away.

From what I can tell, much is done to make the twins feel comfortable. Hydra has learned quickly that they are a force to be reckoned with, even if they did sign a form saying they wanted to participate. They aren't allowed to do much of anything with their abilities outside of a lab (especially Wanda) because of that particular fact. Wanda told me once that they were punished too, just not in as severe a manner as I have been. I don't like to think of what was done to them but I can imagine.

"I have some food for you," Pietro says, handing me a tray. He's wearing a black shirt that is so tight, I fear it will rip open. When I reach to take it from him, our fingers brush. I glance to the glass wall and see Dr. List looking on disapprovingly. There's supposed to be no physical contact between us, I assume for reasons related to the twins' powers.

"Thank you," I reply. I turn my gaze on Pietro and I can see worry on his handsome face.

"How are you feeling?" he whispers. I shrug. There's no point in lying.

"I think I'll be okay. My hair's not turning silver, is it?" I mumble, trying to make him laugh. He gives me a small smile but furrows his brow. Pietro is particularly angry about what's happening to me. He complains about how I've lost weight or how I need another blanket or that I would most certainly appreciate a book. Do I need to be taken every day, he'll ask, adding that he and Wanda were normally given some sort of reprieve. I never get to thank him for it, unless we're miraculously left alone.

"Do you want anything else?" _To be free? To run away with you and your sister and never look back? For these experiments not to kill me?_

"No but thank you." He makes a face but turns to leave anyway. He has no choice.

Pietro lingers outside of my cell while I slowly eat my sandwich and I let myself admire him. Pietro is obviously good looking and it's clear that he knows it so I assume before they volunteered for Hydra, he was quite the lady-killer. He probably slayed with that cute accent and those pretty eyes. I take another meager bite of my sandwich.

Weirdly enough, I feel like I know Pietro and Wanda incredibly well. I suppose situations like the ones we've been in serve as excellent bonding agents and there's something to the idea of being attached to a person that saved your life. I guess after that, you're automatically a team of friends, even if you've never had anything remotely resembling a normal conversation. And the way Pietro and Wanda have acted about me since our failed escape attempt almost makes me believe they've adopted me as one of their own. _That's wishful thinking,_ I tell myself. _They're just decent people who think they owe you a favor._

Once I finish my sandwich, I see that I have a little box of juice to drink today rather than the typical water. I glance over at where Pietro is now pretending _not_ to look at me (and failing). _That's so nice,_ I think because I know it wasn't Hydra's idea and my heart hurts.

I'm not overly fond of water anymore. In fact, you might almost say I'm scared of it. I'm so oddly terrified of water that I do my best not to drink more than what's needed to survive. I'm smart enough to not risk dehydration but I'm not happy about it. At least I can trick myself into believing that juice isn't _really_ water.

I drink it and Pietro literally sighs in relief. I can see it in the way his broad shoulders shrug and how he relaxes his hands. _He doesn't know what they've done to me,_ I try to remind myself. _But he understands that I'm apprehensive about water._ His worry is still consoling though. I doubt I'll ever forget it.

The torture I suffer at the hands of Hydra daily has been rather unique. The scepter is, of course, the focal point of the so-called "experiments." What can or can't it do? I am made to endure something akin to waterboarding. As I understand it from my meager education on torture from S.H.I.E.L.D., waterboarding involves a cloth being put over the victim's face and constantly being doused with water. This impairs their breathing and tricks the brain into believing the body is drowning. Sometimes, that's all it is. On other occasions, I'm put into a tank like a fish. Either way, I find it hard to believe that feeling like I'm drowning is just an illusion.

But the water is never the worst part.

The worst part comes when they shock me. It's small-scale electrocution, designed to have enough voltage to hurt me but not induce death. The shocking by itself would be enough to do some damage but combined with water, it practically becomes fatal. There's a reason why you were warned as a child to get out of the pool when a thunderstorm came up or to not drop a hairdryer into the bathtub with you. Most of the time, occurrences like that would end in death or severe injury. The only side effects I've noticed so far are a little mark on my wrist that might be a burn and my crippling paranoia of being near water. Maybe the alien scepter doesn't have too high a voltage or maybe, things are happening to me that I can't see.

I have no idea whether what's been done to me is comparable to what the twins went through but if it is, I wish I'd attempted escape with them earlier. I can only imagine the various forms of outright cruelty those two suffered and God knows what happened to the poor people that died.

I put my tray on the floor and lay back down in bed. Thinking about this is depressing and I'd rather just sleep.

As I am about to drift off, my door opens once again and I am escorted to a lab. Wanda and Pietro nervously stand by, weakly holding each other's hand. I wonder if they can hear me when I scream. I never heard them. _Was I oblivious? Or are they that much stronger than I am?_ There's a reason why Wanda and Pietro survived the procedures when no one else did. I just don't know what it is.

I used to struggle and end up having agents carry me in but there's no point in that now. I've come to terms with the fact that it's over. I'm just waiting for the first stages of the sickness to come and then, hopefully it will be quick. It's not that I'm aching for death, I simply know it's inevitable, and the chances of me having a last hurrah are slim to none. I feel guilty when I think about leaving the twins with these monsters but they do have pretty amazing abilities. Wanda alone could probably take out this entire base. She merely doesn't know it yet. And I understand that Hydra has them scared. I'm scared too.

A bucket of water hits me in the chest as soon as the door to the lab closes and I stagger back at the impact. Another bucket pours over my head. My grey dress sticks to my skin, like it wants to run from the water too, and Agent Basso pulls me to a table. It doesn't take much force for he and Baron Von Strucker to get me on the metal gurney and strapped down. _Oh God, I'm on metal. That'll make it worse._

Dr. List slowly sticks sensors to my temples, my collarbone, and the bends of my elbows. Wires run from them to the testing equipment powered by the spear. The sensors will initiate the shock.

"You did well last time, Ridley," Dr. List says. Last time I was totally submerged.

"You mean I didn't drown?" I respond. He laughs.

"I mean, who knew you'd have such a great ability at conducting electrical currents?" I'm pretty sure normal people don't do anything of the sort. The human body can conduct electricity in small quantities, like when you accidentally stick something in an outlet the wrong way and jerk back, but I'm basically going through electroshock therapy that never ends. At this point, my heart should have expired from the sheer amount of exposure I've had, right? _Well, what do I know? I was training to be muscle, not brains._

There are many ways to respond to Dr. List, such as, "Who knew I'd be electrocuted every day for months on end?" but I keep my mouth shut. On some level, I think Dr. List feels sorry for me, even after I shot him. Sure, he performs the experiments and even sometimes acts like the participants in them are no more than their results, but I don't think it's lost on him that I'm human. He knows I didn't volunteer to do this. Then part of me thinks, _But it hasn't stopped him, has it?_

Baron Von Strucker stands off to the side to observe. He's obviously happy with himself because I'm weak and terrified now. I glare at him until I see Dr. List walk away from me. Unconsciously, my hands ball into fists, nails digging into my palms. And it happens.

It's difficult to describe just what it feels like. It's as if a tiny shock, like the one I received when I was tampering with the parts of my phone, is amplified times ten. The water only intensifies it and frankly, so does the metal. All it is to me is pain, excruciating and horrible pain. It's absolutely unspeakable.

After what feels like hours, it's over and I am taken back to my cell in a new grey dress. Once there, I get in bed. I am always emotionally and physically drained after my sessions. I try not to fall asleep because I remember that Wanda said she was going to bring me something tonight.

When she comes, Agent Basso is the one to let her into my room. He's flipping his newly returned butterfly knife. Pietro is standing behind him with his arms crossed. He's mad. _But when isn't he?_

"I thought you might like a book," Wanda says when she arrives in front of me. She's wearing a black and red patterned dress with boots. She looks pretty.

"That's so nice of you," I respond as I take it from her. It feels oddly bulky for such a small book and I immediately know it must not be what it seems. "Thanks."

She weakly smiles. Agent Basso calls her name aggressively and we both flinch. Pietro bristles and I can see that he's actively trying to tell himself not to do anything.

Once Wanda leaves and Agent Basso goes back to kicking puppies (or whatever it is he does for fun), I covertly open the book and a note falls into my lap. I grab it between my fingers and open it slowly, doing my best to keep it hidden.

"Katia," it begins, "please hold out a little longer. We are doing our best to rescue you as you did to rescue us. Do not give up."

I fold it back up and tuck it between the pages of the book for safe keeping. I look out of the glass wall and see Wanda and Pietro staring back rather expectantly. I nod in their direction and they nod back.

I hate to say it but I don't have very much hope. The damage to me has been done and there's nothing anyone can do about it. When I wake up the next morning, I realize just how true that is.

 _I'm freezing,_ I think, bringing my knees up to my chest. I wish I had a blanket other than the thin fleece one I'm covered in now (I don't like fleece. It makes me think of being shocked). Pietro had brought me another blanket once after finally convincing Dr. List and the others that I needed one. It was a nice, thick quilt that I loved but it had been taken as quickly as it came.

I'm not sure when my symptoms escalate. It could be once I mercifully fall back asleep or it could be when I hear the door open and suddenly realize that I'm too weak to try to hide. The door closes as quickly as it opened and I actually sigh in relief. _Not today. They aren't taking me today._ My reprieve is cut short when I hear voices, two of which belong to the twins.

"She is sick," Wanda says aloud, like she's in disbelief.

"Finally." There is no mistaking the pleasure in Baron Von Strucker's voice. "That girl is trouble and I'll be glad to finally be rid of her."

"Pay up!" I hear Agent Basso yell from some distance away. "I told you she'd make it six months!" I peep out from under my blanket to see Pietro scowling. Wanda is standing beside him, concern on her face.

"I'll go in and see what I can do." That's typical Dr. List.

"For what purpose?" Von Strucker asks. "Once the others got the fever, none of them lasted more than two days. You couldn't stall it then, what makes you think you could do it now?"

"You can't just do nothing!" Pietro angrily exclaims.

"Yes, we can. Ridley is due for her execution." I feel myself shudder but I can't tell whether that's from the chills or the word "execution." Pietro and Wanda see me do it.

"At the very least, you will let us in." _In with me? Why would they want to do that?_

"And risk the two of you getting sick?" Dr. List asks.

"We survived the illness," Wanda says. "Clearly, we are immune." My eyelids start to feel heavy and I only hear bits and pieces of their conversation.

"It's still out of the question," Baron Von Strucker asserts. The twins say something in response that I can't decipher and Von Strucker replies in turn.

"You did not listen to us and that is why this is happening. _You_ are the ones who did this to her!" Pietro accuses. I only understand him because his tone is verging on shouting.

"She deserves it," Agent Basso contributes loudly. "She shot me!"

"And you did not _deserve_ that?" Pietro says "that" like "zat."

"Well, you want my brother and I to be happy, do you not?" Wanda asks coolly. "You would like us to continue to be complacent and unproblematic, no?" The answer must be overwhelmingly affirmative because the door to my cell slides open. Rather than just the twins, Dr. List comes in as well. I'm disappointed. I'd rather it just be them.

"Okay, Ridley, you've got to sit up for me. I'm going to check a couple of your vitals," Dr. List says. I notice now that he's got a little bag of medical equipment.

I get up, planting my feet on the cold floor, and the twins round Dr. List to sit on either side of me. I can tell by the looks on all of their faces that it's bad. A glimpse at my reflection in the glass shows my brown hair to be stringy and my skin to be sallow.

"You know the drill," Dr. List tells me, handing me the thermometer. I place it under my tongue and shake. Wanda places a hand against my back, like that might make me warmer, and glowers when Dr. List starts to protest. On my other side, Pietro unzips his jacket and takes it off. I give Dr. List the thermometer back when it beeps and take Pietro's jacket when he offers it.

"Thank you," I say.

"103.4. You're burning up," Dr. List declares.

"It doesn't feel like it," I mutter.

"You've got the chills too." _Bad, this is really bad._ "Let's check your pulse." He takes my small wrist and the twins and I wait for his verdict. "It's normal, which is a good sign." There's a collective sigh. "If it slows, that's when there'll be cause for concern. But you're not too groggy, are you? Losing focus, blurry eyesight, that sort of thing?"

"Not too bad. I'm just really tired… and maybe a little achy."

"That's totally normal and luckily, it means you're not that far along. I'll head back to the labs and see what I can find to help you. Until I come back, the twins will take good care of you. Try not to fall back asleep." I nod, even though I know he's just going through the motions for Wanda and Pietro's benefit. I hear the real message under his words. _You're beyond medical attention and there is nothing anyone can do to save you._

He leaves after that and the door never closes behind him. Dr. List even shoos away the vultures named Basso and Von Strucker. They must want to watch me deteriorate.

I look between the twins with the most pitiful face I can muster. "All right," Pietro says. "You may lay down but you cannot go to sleep."

"Just keep talking to me and I won't," I reply.

"I will be right back," Wanda says. She gets up and walks out the still open door. I hope she's going to get me another blanket.

I take the opportunity, with Wanda gone, to curl up towards the end of my bed. My head rests near Pietro's legs.

"This will not work," Pietro says. I stuff my hands inside his jacket to keep them warm. "I cannot see your face and you are not allowed to sleep."

"Just talk to me. Tell me about all of your girlfriends." He scoffs.

"You are the one who needs to talk. You have to stay awake." I sigh.

"Why are you and Wanda doing this?" I ask.

"What do you mean?"

"You had the opportunity to leave and you didn't take it. And you've been looking out for me." I want to list off all the ways but I'm far too tired to say any more.

"We owe you." He strokes my hair and now I know for sure that I'm dying. Why else would he do anything like that? I'm grateful that he can't see my face because my eyes feel hot with tears. "You did save my life."

"I bet you could have stopped the bullets if I hadn't."

"Well, I did not want to find that out at the time." I laugh a little and his fingers accidentally brush my cheek. "We like you too, of course."

" _Of course_ ," I reply.

"I am serious. My sister and I, we…" He pauses. "You are our only friend."

"You're my only friends too."

"Since you asked me, I will ask you. Why did you do those things for us?"

"I don't know," I whisper. "Because it was the right thing to do and because I like you." I'm not looking at him but I know Pietro is smiling.

Wanda comes back in, holding a couple of cloths. "Dr. List said these might help bring Katia's temperature down," she tells us. "He also said not to keep her too warm because that could be helping the fever. And under no circumstances should she go to sleep. If there are any changes, we must get him."

"And here I was, hoping for another blanket," I mutter.

"That is too bad," she responds. Wanda makes Pietro move so that she can sit in his spot and place my head in her lap. He rolls his eyes and sits on the floor in front of us. "Our mother used to do this when we were sick," she says, placing a cool cloth on my forehead. It makes me shiver.

"Why don't you tell me about them?" She does after Pietro states that I have to keep my eyes on him. I groan but do as he asks. It's not a burden to stare at him. I just want him to think it is.

I try to concentrate on listening to what Wanda is saying and focus on Pietro so he doesn't think I'm falling asleep but neither are easy tasks. It feels like her voice is fading in and out and I'm having to blink multiple times to clear my vision with my eyes shutting for longer and longer periods each time. Wanda just keeps talking, telling me all sorts of things about their life pre-Hydra. She keeps a cloth to my forehead and runs her fingers over my hair just like Pietro did. I notice that he's balancing listening intently to every accented word out of Wanda's mouth and keeping his bright eyes on me. At one point, he moves closer and grabs my hand. "I will squeeze it hard if I catch you dozing off," he tells me with a beautiful smile but it is hiding worry. There are creases at the sides of his mouth and his hand is clammy (or maybe, that's mine). _This is my swan song,_ I tell myself.

After a while, Wanda gets up to find something for us to eat. When she asks whether I want some water, I say no so quickly and forcefully that she's actually taken aback. I think she's surprised I have enough energy to protest. But then she frowns in such a knowing way that I understand she's just read me and now knows what was done to me. Wanda wouldn't normally use her telepathy on me. She told me that the first time she did it would be the only time. I guess she's making an exception since I'm dying.

Pietro takes her place. He makes me sit up enough that I lean against his chest. He wraps an arm around me because he knows I'm still cold. I feel differently about letting him take care of me than I did with Wanda. _Don't be silly,_ I command myself. _And don't fall asleep._

"How are you feeling?" he asks.

"Miserable," I respond weakly.

"Are you hurting?"

"Everywhere," I whisper. _Fever, exhaustion, nausea, pains. I'm running the full gamut._

"I will take you to Dr. List."

"Why? He can't do anything. Or Von Strucker won't let him." He takes a deep breath. "It would have been nice to have some cool abilities before I die. Oh well."

"You are _not_ going to die." He sounds angry and I like that. If I wasn't so drained, I'd be angry too. I close my eyes. He says something else but I don't hear him. I feel every bit of resolve I have left completely leave me and I slouch across Pietro's lap. I think the lights flicker above us.

He brushes hair away from my neck and grabs my chin. "Katia, you can't close your eyes!" I don't think I can answer him. "Katia, please!" I finally make myself look at him as he picks me up. He wraps one of my arms around his neck and I let my fingers weakly grab at the fabric of his shirt. "We need Dr. List." I hadn't realized Wanda was back.

"Okay," she responds. "Come with me."

"Don't go fast," I whisper.

"All right," Pietro replies almost bitterly. He starts to walk, like he's scared any sudden movement might break me in half. I feel his hand against my bare leg.

"Don't let her fall asleep!" Wanda says. "Dr. List told me that might mean she's falling into a coma." Hearing those words is enough for me to try to keep my eyes open.

"Okay, Katia, keep talking to me." _I don't want to talk,_ I think. _I just want to look at you._

"About what?" I whisper. I've never really noticed that his hair is still dark at the roots. Even though my vision seems blurry, I can still see just how striking Pietro is. "About how good looking you are?"

He laughs and says, "I am not opposed to that."

"Now we know Katia really _is_ sick," Wanda says.

"Objectively, it is true," I reply.

"Do not feed his ego, Katia. He does not need any help."

Pietro scoffs. "Do you see how mean she is to me?" he asks. I smile. "Why don't you just count for me, Katia?"

"Okay. One," I murmur. The lights flicker again, on and off as we walk by. Wanda turns to look over her shoulder. I can't tell what's in her expression. "Two." I can hear Pietro's pounding heartbeat as I rest my head against his shoulder. "Three." The door to one of the labs blasts open with the force of Wanda's magic. I stop there.

"Lay her down," Dr. List says. _Where is he? I don't see him._ But he must really be there because Pietro gently places me on a gurney. It isn't until Dr. List snaps his fingers at me that I realize I've closed my eyes. "Keep with me, Ridley. Once you enter a coma, there's nothing I can do for you." I try to open my eyes but I just can't. "I'm serious, Ridley. I will get the water."

"You will not!" Wanda exclaims but it works. I'm awake now and I'm ready. I reach towards Pietro and he takes my hand in his own. Wanda does the same.

"How's she doing? Is she delusional? Is there any substantial grogginess?"

"Well, I would say she's delusional," Wanda responds and I laugh.

"Check her pulse," Dr. List commands. The weight of my eyelashes is almost too much for my eyelids. Pietro moves my arm so that it faces upwards and pushes up the sleeve of the jacket he gave me. There's a prick to the bend of my elbow. "Her pulse is low, her fever has spiked, and she's close to unconsciousness. I hate to say it but it's over."

"What?" Pietro sounds somewhere between pissed and disbelief.

"This is exactly how it happened with the others. The sickness deteriorates them so quickly and frankly, we've never understood what causes it. There's no way to stop it from killing her when I don't understand it."

"Well, you better try!" I think I say, _it's okay_ , but it's possible I only think it.

"What would be the point? Ridley isn't going to be the miracle exception to the rule and in case you've forgotten, Von Strucker did this so she would die. I'm sorry if I've given you false hope but she won't survive this."

"Yes, she will," Wanda says, "or have you forgotten what I can do to you?"

"Do it," Pietro commands. His grip on my hand tightens as I watch Wanda approach Dr. List fast and tweak her fingers. Red energy hits him in the temples and his eyes turn the color of blood.

"Wanda, what are you doing?" I moan. Maybe I didn't really say that either.

"I'll start her on an IV," Dr. List says robotically. "We may need to give her a shot of adrenaline to keep her awake. After that, I'm not sure what our options are."

"You will try everything you can think of," Wanda tells him and he nods. _She's brainwashed him needlessly,_ I think. _This is it. I can feel it._ It's remarkably incredible that they would go to such lengths to save me, a girl who failed in an attempt to save them, but I feel that it's useless. I knew the moment I was tossed in a cell that I would die here. Dr. List and his scientific group haven't been sitting on a cure this whole time. Even if they had been, they would never use it on me.

Pietro offers up my hand for the IV and I barely feel it get put in. My sight starts to go fuzzy around the edges until I can no longer see anything at all. My fingers go limp, then my arms. I hear the rip of fabric and I think it's down the chest of my dress. A hand rests against my breastbone. _The adrenaline,_ I realize woozily.

The door to the lab crashes open and I manage a groan. "What the hell is up with the lights?" It's Agent Basso. Then, "What's going on here?" Von Strucker.

I hear the syringe, which must've been filled with adrenaline, clatter to the floor and a _whoosh!_

In the instant that I realize I'm about to be unconscious, the needle hits my chest with enough of a blow to make me yell. I open my eyes to see Pietro clutching the syringe in hand and all of the lights in the room shatter and spark.

"Okay, what the hell was that?" Agent Basso yells.

" _That_ was Katia," Wanda says.

 **Okay, again, I'm sorry for a bit of a wait. Unfortunately, there will be another one. I'm going on vacation next week and I won't be carrying my laptop. Hopefully, it won't be too long a wait but I just wanted to apologize in advance. I also hope you enjoy this chapter. It was fun to write and I'm really looking forward to the next events. I think we'll see the Avengers rather soon. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of the support you've all given me! It's been really encouraging!**


	8. Chapter 8

My fingers rub the spot on my chest where I was shot with adrenaline. It aches but then again, my entire body aches. Pietro shakes his head at me so I stop fiddling with it. I'm supposed to be undergoing testing but Dr. List, now free of Wanda's brainwashing, let the twins stay with me. I really appreciate it.

"What do you think? Just electricity or possibly all electrical currents?" Baron Von Strucker and Agent Basso are openly debating my potential abilities in the hall outside of the lab. Wanda and Pietro are standing statuesque on either side of me. None of us know what to do or say but the way Wanda cuts her eyes at me is rather telling. They're on the right track.

"What's the difference?" Agent Basso questions. I think all of this bores him. My death would have been much more entertaining than lights shattering and creating more work for him to do.

"The _difference_ is the scale between lightbulbs and lightning." _Everything has electrical currents, right?_ I think as Wanda runs a hand up my arm. I got a new grey dress but I put Pietro's jacket back on. He wouldn't take it when I tried to give it back.

"You really think _she's_ the one doing this? Come on, Von Strucker, you're smarter than that. Just pay the damn electric bill and shoot her."

"Shoot her? When she could be the answer to all of our robotics problems?" _Robotics problems?_

Wanda leans closer to whisper in my ear, "The basement." I recall what the three of us stumbled upon months ago. Hydra had clearly been experimenting with a high-tech robotics program and was failing miserably. Apparently, their circumstances haven't improved much.

"Yeah, right," Basso replies. "If Ridley fixes that mess, you have permission to kill me."

"Why does he hate you so?" Pietro murmurs in my ear, his breath hot on my cheek. I shrug and he takes an awfully long time to move away from me. _Oh no,_ I think as I feel my pulse quicken. _I know what this means._

"Seriously, even if Ridley _did_ have powers and her life absolutely depended on it, she would never help us," Agent Basso continues.

"Well, she _does_ have powers and her life absolutely _does_ depend on it," Baron Von Strucker responds.

"Then I better hold a gun to one of the twins' heads because that's the only way she'll do anything." I look between Wanda and Pietro to see their reactions. Neither show any open response, other than the corner of Pietro's mouth twitching into a bit of a smile.

"I think you underestimate her sense of self-preservation."

"I think you overestimate it."

Dr. List goes to tell them to go away and I take this time to shake out my hands and relax. When I do it, I notice faint bolts of white energy around my fingertips. They're rather similar to what I've seen Wanda do, if a little more like lightning. I clench my hands into fists to cut them off but that only causes everything in the room to dim.

"Sorry," I say when the lights come back up. Pietro had reached around me to grab Wanda and had a handful of my dress in his grip. He must've known I was the cause but wanted to protect us just in case.

"It is all right," Wanda says but Pietro pulls us closer to him anyway. The three of us stay silent for a minute, Pietro moving his hand to touch my hip and Wanda linking our fingers. I feel like both of them are bruising me as we strain to listen to the now hushed conversation in the hallway. Pietro relaxes his hold when it seems like we will be left alone for a little while.

"Katia, do you feel… any better?" Pietro tentatively asks. He's asked that before, when the three of us weathered the outage my first display of power incurred. This time, he's not really asking whether I feel sick but that's the answer I give him anyway.

"Yes," I respond. "Thank you for…"

"Stabbing you with a needle?" Wanda asks. I laugh a little.

"Yeah, thanks for stabbing me with a needle. And thank you for staying with me."

Pietro tenses up and immediately relaxes. "It is nothing," he says.

"You would have done the same," Wanda replies.

"Yes but still, it's more than anyone else has ever done for me," I state. "It just means a lot." The twins exchange a rather unreadable look. Are they pleased? Are they still worried?

"Well, it was no burden to take care of such a pretty girl," Pietro responds. Wanda groans and I scoff to cover up a smile.

The door to the lab opens and Dr. List walks in. "I'm sorry about all that," he says. "Now we should be able to do this uninhibited."

"Do what exactly?" Pietro has shifted from flirty to angry at a moment's notice.

"Just the routine tests we performed on you." I must flinch because Dr. List then says, "Oh, it's nothing to worry about. It's just a little bit of monitoring and bloodwork. Please sit down." He gestures at a gurney and worriedly, I take a seat. _This isn't a trick, is it?_ I wonder. _He's not just going to throw water on me and begin to experiment again?_ Wanda and Pietro take a place on either side of the gurney, each of them with their arms crossed. _They won't let him hurt me,_ I think. For some reason, I know that to be most assuredly true. "First of all, Ridley, why don't you tell me how you're feeling?"

"I'm still a little nauseous but I feel a lot better than I did," I respond.

"Well, I think you're out of the woods as far as the sickness is concerned. You've beat it." I tell myself that should make me happy but I don't feel like I've beaten anything. In fact, I feel like I've done exactly what Baron Von Strucker wanted me to do, short of dying a slow and painful death. This is an option I'm sure he's never considered but based on the bits of discussion I overheard, he's happy about this latest development. "All right, let's talk about your powers. How are you feeling regarding that?"

"Am I supposed to feel differently?"

"You tell me."

I turn to Pietro and then Wanda before asking, "Did either of you notice any changes?" Wanda shakes her head while Pietro appears to be really considering the question. He settles on telling me he felt great. I remind myself that he got the added advantage of an incredible metabolism and a wealth of other health benefits. "Just put me down for no variations."

Dr. List keys that into a small tablet and then holds it up for me to look at. "You know how long it took us to get the electrical system back up?" Because I know he's aching to talk about it, I shake my head. But I was there for the blackout and I remember hours of sitting in the dark with Wanda and Pietro as Hydra agents ran around, inevitably tripping over things scattered in the hallways. Wanda had whispered to me how the situation was so like the two days after they lost their parents. _That explains why Pietro won't let us go,_ I thought and why they kept asking how I was doing. Neither of them once mentioned what I'd done or pressured me to turn the lights back on. "Even with the sheer amount of people sent to deal with this particular problem, it took nearly eight hours. That's absolutely unprecedented! You fried the switchboards, mainframes, and blew every light in this compound. This," he points to his tablet, "is one of only three still functioning properly. I can't even begin to tell you what's happened to most of the medical equipment."

"Well-" I begin to say that I'm not sorry about it but Dr. List is apparently on a role.

"Frankly, what you've done here is unparalleled, Ridley. You're going to have a few, like Agent Basso, who simply don't believe you'll ever have the power to do such a thing but you and I both know they're wrong." He's as excited about me as he was about Pietro and Wanda. I can't believe it. "Baron Von Strucker is very interested in knowing the extent of your abilities and so am I. I'd like to run a few tests on you today just to understand any basic changes in your biological makeup but then, I'd like to see what you can do."

"I don't think I can do it on command," I admit. If I'm honest, I feel rather unwieldy.

"If you really think so, I can give you triggers." The word "trigger" automatically makes me think "water." I try to slide closer to Wanda instinctively. I used to believe I wasn't scared of anything but I feel absolute terror when I think about water.

"There's no need for that. We will teach her," Pietro asserts. He nods at me and I relax.

"Well, you'd best do it quickly. But I don't think there will be a problem here, Ridley," Dr. List says, turning back to me. "You'll come into these abilities on your own and naturally, you'll learn control. It's still early on. You've got time to develop but given the fact that you blew everything in the base, your powers probably don't have much more room to grow."

"I really fried everything in the compound?" I ask quietly. It's hard to imagine that a small girl like me would ever possess that amount of energy or that something as simple as a shot could set it off. Well, the adrenaline was more than a normal shot and Pietro hit my chest so hard that I thought the needle would break.

"Yes," Dr. List responds. "I don't actually remember much of it." _Because Wanda meddled around with your brain._ "And a display like that could have happened for a multitude of reasons. You were near death and you were extremely weak. It certainly doesn't mean you're uncontrollable or a danger to yourself." He reaches forward like he's going to touch me and I flinch. He looks vaguely offended. "I just don't want you to think it's something to be afraid of. Wanda and Pietro here are doing great and you're not scared of either of them."

"I'm not afraid of it," I respond. _I'm afraid of what you might make me do._ I think about the Chitauri monster in the basement and the robotics program. They can force me to help them and do what they want, just like they somehow keep Wanda and Pietro under their thumb.

"Good."

Dr. List takes blood under the scrutinizing eyes of the twins. I also undergo what amounts to a typical physical. At the end, Dr. List tells us that there are no obvious changes other than the small mark on my wrist (which has been there since the experimentation began). The bloodwork could tell us more but he doesn't know how long it will take to process since many of the computers are still down. He once again asks to see some show of my power but Wanda cuts him short. Does he want another blackout? Does he want me to pass out from exertion? Or does he want the "triggers" to inevitably kill me? All are things she would have him believe could happen. Dr. List relents and lets us go.

Since the base is still reeling from the power outage, I suggest we sleep in the bunks in my old room rather than our cells. Even though we might get in trouble for it, they agree. Mine is a typical, small room in the fortress and consists of two sets of bunk beds. No one has ever shared it with me. It's the bare minimum of comfort but it's better than what I've gotten used to.

I'm disappointed, though not entirely shocked, to see that all of my stuff has been taken away. There wasn't much here other than clothes and an extra rifle but I'm still a little sad to see them go. It sort of cements the idea that I was expected to die. _Will I ever use a gun again?_ I wonder.

The twins take the bunks opposite mine and with a quick expression of thanks, they go to sleep. I don't, whether because I'm worried about being reprimanded for sneaking around or because I'm trying to come to terms with what I can do, I don't know. _If we get caught, I'll tell them it was my idea,_ I think. _Then Pietro and Wanda will be okay._

 _Go to sleep, Katia,_ I command. I shift onto my side and see Pietro in the bottom bunk adjacent to mine. Wanda's hand is hanging off the top bunk and every now and then, she gives a little sigh of breath. _They have powers and they're all right,_ I convince myself. _But some of the others developed abilities… and died anyway._ I groan and turn to look back at the wall.

In the next instant, I'm asleep. I dream that I'm drowning, fumbling around in dark water until it fills my mouth and lungs. No one helps me because no one is around. Each time I reach the surface, something grabs my ankle and pulls me down deeper.

I gasp awake and nearly hit my head on the bunk above me. It's raining. _Maybe it's sleet,_ I tell myself. _You know Sokovia has an abnormally long cold season._ But really, that's just as bad. "No, no, no," I whisper and pull my blanket over my head. For a brief moment, I consider getting in bed with Wanda but she's on the top bunk and I just don't think Pietro would understand. I settle for cowering in my own bed.

 _It'll be over soon. You'll be asleep before it's over._ Under normal circumstances, I would consider myself a coward. Who, above the age of ten, is scared of the rain? Not even thunderstorms, just rain. Is there anyone else that's terrified of water? I know it doesn't make sense. I try to tell myself that it's foolish but still, I'm afraid.

 _It can't touch you,_ I think, pulling my knees to my chest. _You can do better than this. Do you think Clint is scared of anything? Do you think Natasha is? There's no S.H.I.E.L.D. if you can't pull it together._

As I hear the rain pouring down the sides of the compound, I have a moment of clarity. This is the first consideration I've given to S.H.I.E.L.D. in months. When death doesn't seem like it's just around the corner, I can actually do some real thinking. The twins and I still need to get out of here. If I've truly defeated the illness and developed actual abilities, we've got a good shot.

I slide out of my bed and reach under the mattress. _They may have taken everything else but I doubt they found this._ My fingers grab the tiny GPS tracker from my old phone and I go back to hiding under the covers. I hid the tracker under my mattress months and months ago, in the hope that if I ever found anything to make it work, I'd still have it. Little did I know, I would eventually have the capability to turn it back on myself.

 _Isn't that ironic?_ I think. _The girl with no access to technology, who only had shoddy hand-me-downs, is now the one with an all-access pass to electricity. Suck it, Hydra!_

I hold the chip in front of my face and concentrate. "Turn on," I whisper uncertainly. Nothing happens. I shake my hand in anger. "You work when I'm sick but not when it would actually be useful? Come on!"

There's a noise, one that sounds a bit like a moan. I fold my hand around the tracker and the edges of it seem to cut into my palm. I peep out from under my blanket to see Pietro tossing and turning. He murmurs something and turns toward me. Even though he's asleep, duress colors his handsome face. Briefly, I look up at Wanda. She's peacefully sleeping, unaware of anything. He groans again, a long, low, and painful sound. _He's having a nightmare,_ I realize. And it's probably for the same reason I had one.

I sit up, the tracker still in my palm, and Pietro whimpers. This is worse than either sound that has come before and anger ripples through me. _I'm going to kill Baron Von Strucker for this,_ I think. Instinctively, I gaze down at the chip in time to see a spark go through it. A spark that I know I created.

"Oh my gosh," I mutter, holding the tracker in front of me. "I did it."

Pietro moans once more, his fingers clutching the edge of his blanket. I quickly slide the GPS chip back under my mattress. If it's back on, I should continue to keep it hidden.

"Pietro," I whisper. He murmurs and my chest starts to ache. "Pietro!"

He stirs, unlocking his fingers from their tight grip on his blanket and sitting up. He runs a hand through his white hair and sheepishly looks in my direction. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" he whispers. _He's embarrassed._ Even in the relative dark, I can see the apples of his cheeks redden.

"Oh no!" I reply. "Not at all. I, uh…" I swallow my pride and say, "I don't like the rain. I was hoping you could distract me." His entire expression changes, as if he knows I've spared him. I try to avoid looking him directly in the eyes. "I'm sorry I woke you up. I would have asked Wanda but she's…" I vaguely point up above him.

"It is all right. I was having a nightmare anyway," he says quietly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I prompt. _He won't tell you,_ I think. _It's probably just something he'd tell Wanda about._ Sometimes, it's hard to remember that I'm an outsider to their relationship.

He shrugs. "I can't even remember it." I make myself nod, even as I hear the rain beating down on the compound harder and harder. "Do you want me to sit with you?"

"No, that's not-" I cut off when he comes and sits on my bed anyway. "Necessary," I finish. He leans back against the wall and cocks a grin in my direction. Wanda is still asleep, breathing slowly and deeply.

"You know," he whispers, "I think it is sleet, not rain." I pull my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around them.

"Even if that were true, it's not much better in my book." He just stares at me, pale, blue-eyed, and beautiful. "Don't make fun of me. I know it's silly."

"No, it is not." I cut my eyes at him and understand that he means it. "Come on, relax." He tugs on my arm until I slouch against the wall beside him, my feet hanging off the edge of the bed. "Do you want to know what I think?" he asks with a quickly raised eyebrow.

"Of course," I reply, somewhere between serious and sarcastic. He leans over to me, so close that I'm secretly glad I'm not still wearing his jacket.

"I think you are very brave."

"What?" I question in disbelief.

"Do not be modest," he says, a smile tugging at his lips. "You stood up for us and you have survived everything you have been put through. You killed a man for me."

"I don't know if that's bravery or just common sense," I say quietly.

"It is bravery," he decides for me. "Deny it if you want but you are brave." He presses his knuckles into my arm, like a playful punch.

"I like the sound of that," I whisper. Pietro grins and doesn't move away.

He talks to me for what must be hours about all manner of things. He asks me about the electricity and what it feels like because it looks like lightning to him. He asks me my favorite color and how my gun works (does it work better mounted, is that why I placed it on his shoulder, which was _fantastic_ , by the way). Before I know it, the rain has stopped and I am lulled into a dreamless sleep by the sound of Pietro's breathing.

I wake up abruptly when the door to my room is thrown open. "Found them!" Agent Basso yells as I groggily try to push myself up. Pietro's arms are somehow tangled in my dress and about my waist so I have to stay put. My chest begins to ache as I reluctantly try to move away from him. It feels warm and electric, like a mild version of being shocked. I'm not sure whether it's my new abilities becoming irritated at being awakened early or what I fear it actually is; Pietro. _This is foolish, Katia,_ I warn. "Ridley, get up! You're needed in the labs immediately."

"Yeah, yeah," I mutter. Pietro cracks open his eyes and pulls away from me. I see him look towards Wanda, who's propped herself up on an elbow and is looking at us with a smirk on her face.

"Continue your threesome later. Get your ass up!" Agent Basso shuts the door again after pointing at me.

"That idiot can't even count," I say.

"I heard that!" he calls.

"So…" Wanda begins, drumming her fingers along the edge of her bunk.

"Katia does not like the rain," Pietro explains quickly. I slide to the edge of the bed and rub the soreness out of my neck. Wanda gives me a knowing look. _Good. Let it rest. I hope neither of you ever mention it again._ I slip into Pietro's old jacket because it's still cold and he watches me do it.

"Oh," she replies, "I understand." I let out a breath. Pity wasn't exactly her tone but it was close enough to rankle me. _I shouldn't be felt sorry for,_ I think. _I don't really deserve that._

"Well, thank you," I say genuinely, looking towards Pietro. Maybe I had just been attempting to spare his pride but he'd truly been helpful to me. "I better go see what Dr. List wants now."

"He should not want anything from you," Pietro declares. "I told him that we would teach you."

"Then maybe, you two ought to come with me."

That's what Dr. List wanted to check in on anyway. I'm tempted to ask him when any of us have had the time to think about training but I decide sassing him is not the best course of action. Instead, Wanda and I sit in the hallway of cells so she can teach me some basics, while Pietro impatiently looks on.

Her technique relies on staying calm and clearing your head, which is a lot easier said than done. Still, I can equate her ideas with things I've heard Natasha say. Natasha is always deadly calm and never seems surprised by anything, even in the midst of a fight. It's what allows her to be the best. So I take everything Wanda says to heart. Concentration, envisioning in my head exactly what I want to do, understanding my limits. Under her tutelage, I manage to open the doors to five cells and shatter at least three of the fluorescents around us, resulting in a rain of sparks scattering across the stone floor. I'm lucky that Wanda and Pietro aren't too skittish. Wanda only flinches once and Pietro has to dash out of the pathway of one of my light explosions (both of which, I apologize for profusely).

"All right, close your eyes and concentrate," Wanda says. "You are doing well."

I shake out my arms and hands. "If well means almost electrocuting you both…" I mutter, closing my eyes.

"You _did_ singe my shirt," Pietro says. I bite back a nervous laugh.

"Shh! You are not helping," Wanda hisses. "Focus, Katia. Clear your mind. Deep breaths." I do as she asks.

 _Concentrate,_ I think. _Be single-minded._ I am distracted from this when I hear a swish and my hair moves behind my shoulder. I sigh and crack an eye open. Pietro is innocently leaning against the wall, pretending to look at his nails. I close my eyes. It happens again and this time I say, "I'll zap you, Pietro."

My concentration is fully broken when I hear Agent Basso yell, "Ridley! Let's hit the basement." I groan. _Can I just blow this place up? Am I strong enough to do that?_ I wonder. When I open my eyes, Agent Basso is just staring at me like I don't have a brain between my ears. "Did you hear me, Ridley? Come on!"

"All right!" I snap. Wanda gives me an apologetic look as I get up and Pietro has balled his hands into fists. "I'll see you later," I tell them and follow Agent Basso out of the hallway of living quarters and labs. He's silent the entire way there but I know what's coming. I'd heard Baron Von Strucker imply they need my help.

When I enter the basement through the secret door Pietro stumbled upon, I'm surprised to see that it's been built up. Agents are all over the place, the robotic parts have multiplied, high tech computers are everywhere, and the Chitauri monster is lit up like a Christmas tree, like they're delighted to own it. Even the scepter has been moved down here to be put on display. Despite the amount of things proudly proclaiming Hydra, such as framed newspaper articles and odd green screensavers on the monitors, I feel like I'm completely in my element. My fingers twitch as if they're begging to spark up.

"Ridley," Baron Von Strucker says calmly. But I feel his eyes on me, watching as I look around, noticing how I'm itching to set everything in this room on fire. "We have something we need you to do." I walk up to the end of a row of computers, my finger running along the edge of the table, with Agent Basso by my side.

"And what is that?" I ask, looking above Von Strucker at the Chitauri snake. I still don't like it but now I feel oddly drawn to the monster. _They're somehow electric. I think Clint told me that. I must be able to feel it._ The entire room is overwhelming in good and bad ways. Good because it feels fantastic to actually connect to something beyond the twins. Bad because this could easily spiral out of control and I would willingly let it.

"I take it you remember your trip down here with the twins a few months ago?" I nod but keep looking around. _A few months ago almost none of this was here. Fully formed robots and so many computers that I can barely think straight._ That's when I really begin to consider the computers. Turning the chip back on may not be enough and as I think this, I know that it isn't. The GPS tracker's signal is being scrambled by the electromagnetic shield. I don't know why I didn't consider that. I don't know how I didn't feel it. The shield is interfering with a lot of things and I can sense that.

"It's a big difference, right?" Agent Basso asks beside me.

"Yeah," I reply, eyeing the tablet in Baron Von Strucker's hands.

"Well, Ridley, as you can see, our robotics program has really grown in recent months," Von Strucker tells me. He starts to walk towards one of the few completed robots, which can only be described as a second rate Iron Man. We follow him.

"I hate to ask this," I begin, "but what purpose are the robots supposed to serve? Is Hydra having difficulty recruiting these days?"

"Shut up and listen, Ridley," Agent Basso says, taking hold of my arm. "You might actually learn something." _I'm going to kill you,_ I think then and there. _I am going to kill you._

"The purpose won't matter if we can't get them to work," Baron Von Strucker states.

"Can't get them to work?" I question, shaking off Basso. "It looks like you've got the finished product right here." I gesture at the robot in front of me. Everything about it resembles a lackluster version of a Stark design, down to the structure of its face. Tony Stark's tech has never inspired much confidence from me but this is downright terrifying. This thing in front of me is closer to a Terminator than a billionaire who made his fortune in weapons dealing.

"Well, we've finally got the right build but we lack the capability to give it a spark. To wake it up, so to speak." _They want me to turn it on,_ I realize. As if I would ever do anything like that. "Ridley, it appears that you serve a purpose after all. I thought you were just dumb muscle for S.H.I.E.L.D. but you've developed into something worth taking note of. Anything that can do what you did to this compound should be paid attention to. You can probably turn this basement upside down."

"But why would I?" I say before I can think better of it.

His entire expression changes, from viewing me as an experiment gone right to the absolute annoyance I've always been. "You must not realize that we're not asking."

"Oh, I understand that you're not asking. But I really want to know why you think I'd help you."

"Told you," Agent Basso mutters.

"You're going to help me, Ridley, because it's only by my good grace that you're still alive," Von Strucker angrily says.

"Actually," I state, "the only reason I'm still alive is because Pietro and Wanda did everything in their power to make sure I _didn't_ die. What were your words on the matter? 'That girl is trouble and I'll be glad to be rid of her.' The twins saved my life when you were hell-bent on killing me!"

"I hardly see how any of that matters when the only reason you've got powers at all is because I took a chance on you. I didn't have to, you know. A bullet to your brain would have gotten you out of my way and eliminated any distraction to the twins. So you are going to help me because you owe me. Without these experiments, where would you be? Dead, targeted by Project Insight or a gun for hire for any pitiful agents S.H.I.E.L.D. has left. That's all you were before the scepter; a nameless sniper. You should be _thanking_ me for putting you on the same level as the Maximoffs." I'm so angry that I don't even question what Project Insight is.

"Thank you? You think I should thank people who've tortured me? I always knew it but you are _insane_."

"Torture?" Agent Basso asks. "What you went through doesn't compare to _real_ torture and you should be grateful it didn't."

"I'm pretty sure that _waterboarding_ is torture in any part of the world! So is electrocution. I suffered and gave up on living all for you to have the ability to turn on your substandard Iron Mans. And don't even get me started on what you did to Wanda and Pietro. I can't even fathom what you did to the twins."

"You know what the twins were before Dr. List picked them up in the square, Ridley?" Baron Von Strucker asks. "Ratty orphan kids living on the street, just like you. Except they didn't have an Avenger taking up for them. They had no one. They were nothing and could have been victims of the riots if they hadn't volunteered. They could have gone down at the point of _your_ gun with no one ever knowing who they were." I take a step back from him at that, totally bristle at the idea of shooting either of them. "But we offered them an irresistible opportunity and now, look at them. Pietro's practically faster than the speed of sound. He's strong, agile. And Wanda… she's an absolute prodigy. Did you know she can make you see anything she wants you to?" _I know,_ I think. _I know them better than you._ "And now you, Katia Ridley. You've got lightning in your fingertips and the ability to manipulate technology you can't even see. Any one of the three of you I could live without. Nobody will miss one of a pair of orphaned twins or a ragged girl that S.H.I.E.L.D. never especially cared for. So play your cards right, Ridley."

"Why don't you just kill me?" I ask quietly. "Because we both know your threats against the twins are idle and I'm not going to help you."

"I don't have to kill them to get you to do what I want," Baron Von Strucker responds sinisterly before turning to Agent Basso. "Does she have a favorite?"

"The boy," he replies. "He was in her bed this morning." I want to punch him but I feel that weird ache in my chest again. It's worse now because it moves to the pit of my stomach.

"Oh good. I like Wanda better."

"If you touch either of them, I'll kill you," I say. They both laugh because they've clearly forgotten I'm dangerous. "I shot Agent Smith for them." I think of Pietro whispering to me last night. _You killed a man for me._

"With a gun that's off-limits to you," Agent Basso says.

"I don't need a gun to kill you. And neither do they."

"You know what, think about the offer for the night, Ridley," Von Strucker says. "You need time to let it sink in." _And think of all the things you could do to Pietro,_ I think. It's a good scare tactic but I'm not going to give it time to work on me.

It's late when Agent Basso takes me back to the labs, which works well for the spontaneous plan I just came up with. I want his ID card, which is hanging off of one of his belt loops. I need access to one of the few functioning tablets or computers. I've had enough of innocent people being tortured and I am tired of being afraid. I think of Wanda flinching whenever someone yells and Pietro's nightmares and how I can barely stay hydrated. I'm done.

I quicken my pace and deftly slip my fingers around the clip to his card. It comes away silently and I tuck it into the pocket of Pietro's jacket.

"Okay, I've got to ask," Agent Basso says. My fingers close around the card so tightly that it might break the skin. "Is he… _quick_ at everything?" Basso looks down at me and arches an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" I respond, my jaw practically on the floor.

"Oh, come on, you know what I'm talking about." I just give him a blank look. "You know, Ridley, it would be in your best interest to do what Baron Von Strucker asks. I'd hate to have to get creative and cut something off that you or the twins don't need."

"As if you could!" I declare. "Pietro would knock you flat on your ass and Wanda would screw with your mind so much that you'd forget your own name."

"Oh yeah? And what about you, Ridley?"

"I'll fry you like you did me."

He cackles. "You give someone a little bit of power and all of a sudden, they have the balls to stand up to you."

"Remind me, Basso, who was the one that shot you in the thigh?" I look up at him and point at my chest. "Oh yeah, that was me. A shabby orphan girl that you thought nothing of."

"Well, you want to know who was responsible for the failure of your little escape attempt? That would be me. I thought about almost letting you get away with it too but the boy's just too fast and he clearly wasn't going to take his sister and leave you."

"Yes, well, he has some integrity, something a Hydra thug wouldn't know anything about."

"You and I are both thugs, Ridley, and for a while, we were on the same side." He walks off, leaving me outside one of the labs. Wanda and Pietro aren't around, which means they must have gone back to my bedroom. They're being allowed a great deal of freedom and I hope that's extended to me.

The door to lab opens, mercifully unlocked. I walk in and begin going through the medical equipment, searching for the tablet Dr. List had yesterday. I've decided I'm coming up blank when the door slams open. I actually jump and I hear a whir from one of the machines in the room. Agent Basso moves across the lab so quickly that I move backwards on instinct, my back hitting one of the metal gurneys.

"You took my ID card," he accuses. I'm not prepared for him to jab his pointed finger into my shoulder and grab me.

"Are you calling me a thief?" I ask, trying my best to sound innocent, but it's hard when my arms are bruising beneath his grasp.

"Don't lie to me, Ridley! Just what the hell do you think you're going to do, huh? Call Barton? You'd have him come and save you, bringing all his buddies? I don't think so. You're not going to ruin what we have here."

"And what do you have here?" I say, trying to break free of him. "Human experimentation? An illegal robotics program? A group of your Neo-Nazi friends? It's time you all pay for what you've done. If I could do it by myself, I would."

"Give me back the card and I'll just throw you in a cell." I'm about to relent, thinking I can easily break out of the cells anyway, when he continues. "But you'll get your punishment. I'll get water and with your powers, I bet that's one deadly combination."

That gives me the drive to finally pull away from him but he pushes me in the same instant. I hit the stone floor and groan. Part of me thinks the twins must be coming but another part of me knows I'm on my own. I struggle to get up but he just pushes me back down. I reach into my pocket and toss the card onto the floor.

When Agent Basso acts like he's going to punch me, I throw up my hands in defense and turn my head. "Take it," I mutter. "Just take it."

But there's a sound, something like ice cracking down the middle, and every light in the room burns so brightly, it busts. The machines start turning on and the tablet I'd been searching for drops off of a table and slides to me. When I look up at Agent Basso, he's close enough to touch and I let my fingers brush his chest. I wouldn't have thought it was enough contact to do any damage but I see the ripple of electricity shoot down my arm and better than that, I feel it when it takes him down. Agent Basso falls backwards, hitting his head on the edge of a metal table.

"No," I whisper, scrambling over to him. His eyes are closed. "Oh no." I put my head to his chest and hear nothing. Then I feel something thick and warm touch my knees and legs. I raise my head to see blood. It stains the skin of my calves and my feet. I don't bother with my dress but I quickly try to save the jacket. I take it off and toss it onto a gurney above me. I turn his chin toward me and see that the blood is coming from a massive wound on his head.

When I realize he's dead, I look around the room for the masked security cameras that got me last time. I raise a hand and spread my fingers. White energy sparks around my fingertips, looking remarkably like lightning, and there are several pops. _I got them and I didn't even know where they were._

I turn back to Agent Basso. He has a spot coming up onto his neck that resembles the one on my wrist. Before I can think better of it, I open his shirt and look at his chest. The mark is massive and is constructed of red and white connected lines that look an awful lot like lightning. _They'll know I did this,_ I realize.

 _What can I do with his body? What's going to happen to me because of this? What will Pietro and Wanda think of me? This wasn't to help anyone. It was… It was an accident._ I tell myself the answers to those questions must wait. I move away from him, the hem of my short gray dress dipping into his blood.

I grab the tablet from its resting place on the other side of the room and pull myself to my feet. It unlocks at my touch. Internet windows open and close without me telling them to until I'm in Dr. List's email. I put in Clint's address (his handle is cawcawmf, if you can believe it) and send a quick message. It had three lines. SOS. Sokovia. And the address. I signed it, Kat.

 **Sorry about the long wait but I hope it was at least a little worth it! Poor Katia, accidentally deadly and petrified of water. You know the saying, "All bark, no bite?" I think Katia is a lot of bark and when she bites, she surprises herself. Anyway, I hope you're liking it and that you're ready for the Avengers next chapter. A lot of drama should happen.**


	9. Chapter 9

**It's been far too long and I'm so sorry about it! Thank you so much for your patience and your encouragement! I love reading your reviews and knowing that you're enjoying it. August ended up being one really hectic month for me (I did some travelling and I started grad school, wow). There may be some more little waits since I am back in school so I apologize in advance. But I hope you really enjoy this chapter. The Avengers are finally in it! As usual, I own nothing but Katia.**

 _Five minutes,_ I think. _You can handle five minutes._

I'm standing in front of the showers. After spending a painstaking amount of time hiding Agent Basso's body in one of the empty medical cabinets in an abandoned lab, I've decided that I can't avoid bathing any longer. I am covered in blood, which, beyond being gross, is rather incriminating.

 _Five minutes,_ I chant, placing Agent Basso's handgun on the counter beside a new gray dress and my jacket. _Five minutes._

I shed my bloody dress and do my best to hide it. Hands shaking, I turn on a shower head. _You're better than this, Katia. Please don't lose it right now._ As I continue to lecture myself on how absolutely necessary this is, I duck under the water. It's bad, horrible, a whole myriad of things, but I stay there until the drain runs red with blood. I scrub my arms and legs until they're red too and eagerly turn the faucet off.

I'm shaking as I dry off. _No more water for a while. You did it, Katia._

I just killed somebody. Someone who deserved it but I doubt Baron Von Strucker will see it that way. _But Clint's coming for me,_ I tell myself. _There's no way Clint isn't coming._ Hopefully, the twins and I won't have to deal with Hydra much longer. For a minute, I can actually see us on our way out of here, with this whole place a distant memory. Part of me knows that it won't be that simple, not when Pietro and Wanda had rankled at the idea of involving Clint before. And I would bet my life that Clint won't be coming by himself, not when I've been off the radar this long. _But they'll see reason._ They have to realize that, just like before, the three of us can't do it on our own. Clint, and whoever he chooses to involve, will make our safety a priority. Hell, if Pietro and Wanda want to stick around Sokovia, I'm sure that won't be a problem.

 _Except that S.H.I.E.L.D. monitors enhanced._ Even if the organization is totally dissolved, they might still be interested in that. Besides, I have to selfishly admit that I want them to come with me. Especially now that I have abilities, I don't particularly feel like being separated from them. _Clint will understand that,_ I think. _Clint will help you._

I pull on my new dress and the jacket. I have nowhere inconspicuous to stick the handgun but I need to keep it on me. People will wonder where Agent Basso is and it won't be long before they figure out that I was the last person to be seen with him. If his body is found, I practically left my electric calling card on his chest. I need to have the gun in case this all goes south. It's what I'm most comfortable with, powers of electricity or not. Still, keeping it in my jacket pocket is also a dead giveaway that I had something to do with his disappearance.

I groan and pocket the gun anyway. Then I head up to my bunk.

I hesitantly walk in and realize that the twins are already asleep. Wanda is curled up on the top bunk, looking like she fell asleep waiting up for me, and Pietro is splayed out on his stomach. I actually sigh in relief. I don't want to answer questions. It might just take a single prompt and I start telling them that they were threatened with more torture, that Hydra wants me to help with their robotics program, that I barely touched Basso and before he hit the floor, he was dead.

"Katia," Pietro whispers. I pause in the midst of hiding Agent Basso's gun under my mattress. "What are you doing? Are you all right?" I look over my shoulder to see him sitting up, silver hair sticking up everywhere and totally groggy.

"I just got back from the basement," I reply. Wanda lets out a ragged breath.

He nods, rubbing his eyes. He wants to say, _"I can see that, Katia. I mean why is your hair wet, why is there blood under your nails, why are you shaking?"_ in that sweet accent of his.Or maybe he doesn't. It's just as likely that he doesn't notice anything's different at all.

"Your hair is wet," he mutters. "Did they hurt you?" I didn't know that whispering could convey that amount of anger but his question did so adequately enough. I admit to myself that I really like that. _They've taken me in_ , I realize. _They might actually have adopted me as one of their own._

I shake my head and go back to looking at my bunk, the gun unloaded and securely beneath it. "No," I whisper. "They didn't hurt me." _They wanted to hurt you._

I hear a tiny whoosh and Pietro is suddenly standing beside me. "But you are shaking." _Huh,_ I think. _Two out of three ain't bad._

I cut my eyes at him and decide that I have to tell him. He's worried, needlessly so because I might just be dangerous. "I killed Agent Basso," I admit.

"What?" I'm surprised that there's no judgment in his expression. Worry still colors his face.

"It was an accident." I realize I'm ashamed and not for the fact that I killed him. I don't have any idea what I'm capable of. I'm not in control of my abilities and control is everything to S.H.I.E.L.D. What will they do when they see what's happened to me? For all I know, they could be just as ruthless as Von Strucker has always been. _Not Clint,_ I tell myself. _Clint will protect me._

"He deserved it," Pietro proclaims. He brushes a hand over my arm. "Do you need help hiding him?"

I look at Pietro in utter bewilderment for a second. _Did he just offer to help me hide a body?_ When he nods at me, I realize that he's serious. "I already did that. Shoved him in a cabinet in one of the empty labs."

"How did you manage that?"

"I honestly don't know," I reply. "I don't even know how I killed him."

"Tell me what happened," he whispers. Pietro looks so genuine, blue eyes wide, sort of smiling. So I sink down onto my bunk and try to tell him the version of the story he'd want to hear. It's essentially the same tale, it just leaves aside all mention of Clint and trying to get in contact with him. I have hope that he and Wanda will see my side of things and join me but for now, it's much safer to just let the Avengers show up.

"I know he deserved it and I know it wasn't intentional but it could not have happened at a worse time," I whisper. Logically, I understand that tonight was possibly the _best_ time to lay Basso out because Clint could be here at any moment in the next few hours, but there's still enough time for me to be punished for it, potentially with a bullet to my head.

"But you do not feel guilty," Pietro asserts. He has a hand against my back and damn it, I like that.

"I should, shouldn't I? But I don't."

He shakes his head quickly. "Of course not! He was a monster to you."

"Yes, he was. Now, I just have to hope that no one stumbles on him. Life's been hard enough without another reason for Hydra to hate me." He grins and it is utterly disarming. _Damn it._ "Well, thanks for listening to me. Sorry I woke you up again."

He moves away from me, as if he's realized that he was too close, and shrugs. "I do not mind. But typically, if a girl wakes me in the middle of the night, it's not to tell me she's killed someone." He winks and I push him out of my bunk with a smirk.

"Go to bed, lady killer."

I sleep uncomfortably, both craving and dreading rescue. We are awakened by a large boom. The compound shakes, the shoddy lights flicker in our room, and dirt streams down from the ancient ceiling. _God bless you, Clint,_ I think.

"What is going on?" Wanda asks.

"I don't know," Pietro responds.

"We're under attack," I say. It's a pretty neutral way to get them to take this seriously. "Wanda, can I have a pair of boots?"

"Yes," she replies. I pull on the boots, load Agent Basso's gun, and tuck it down the side of one of them.

As another bang shakes the castle, the door to the room opens, revealing Dr. List. "As you can tell, we're under attack," he explains. I can see from his demeanor that Hydra knows who's out there and that they don't stand much of a chance. "Come down to the basement, where it's safer." He waves the three of us out.

"It's the Avengers," Wanda whispers. Dr. List doesn't even bother asking how she figured that out. It's obvious that she read him. I hope she hasn't read me.

Pietro tenses up and Wanda links their fingers. Rage appears coiled in her too. My heart actually begins to feel like it's breaking. I know in this moment that I have majorly misjudged this situation. I know that I have made a mistake that I will never recover from. They won't come with me. They won't trust me. They will abhor me for doing this. I pray that Clint left Tony Stark back at his wrecked Malibu mansion, cloistered there with Pepper Potts and his various machines. But I know that hope is futile.

The twins and I stay close together in a cove of the basement. Hydra agents, more than I thought were even at this base, are eagerly erasing computer systems, shutting down programs, and destroying evidence. I see the articles that clued me in to Hydra going through shredders. A file with my picture clipped on the front is burned, along with what must be a hundred others. _They can't destroy it all,_ I think, _because I remember everything. I remember what they did to me and what they did to the twins. I remember the innocent people they killed._ My fingers twitch and all the computer screens go black.

Pietro takes my hand. "This is it," he whispers in my ear, making my skin prickle with goosebumps. "If we can escape the Avengers, we'll finally be free." I make myself nod, even as I feel guilt pool in the pit of my stomach. I imagine him casting me away when he hears that I'm responsible for this. I can hear Pietro and Wanda tell me that they would choose Hydra over S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers any day.

"Whatever happens, will you stay with me?" I ask. Wanda looks at me incredulously. Pietro arches a dark eyebrow.

"Of course," Wanda replies. "You are family now." Pietro nods at me eagerly. The pit in my stomach only grows heavier.

"Why would you think we would leave you behind?" he questions. I shake my head and Baron Von Strucker finally enters the basement.

"Where's Basso?" Von Strucker calls. His gun suddenly feels like a weight against my calf.

"Damn," I say under my breath.

When Von Strucker walks by us, Pietro says that he saw Agent Basso going out to check on the bunkers in the valley. "Of course," Baron Von Strucker laments. "He just can't follow orders." Pietro gives me a wink and I smile at him. I don't have time to thank him or even wonder at him saving me some grief because Von Strucker turns his gaze on me. "Ridley, just the girl I've been looking for."

I don't have the chance to object. Von Strucker has pulled me out of the cove and pushed me toward a table. He puts a knife to my throat and I feel it nick the tender skin of my neck. Pietro pushes him off of me before he can do anymore damage. I let the twins pull me back into the little alcove. Wanda runs a finger across the blood on my throat and Pietro's hands frame my waist.

Von Strucker takes only a moment to recover. "You think you're smart, don't you, girl?" he demands, pointing at me. "Calling all your old friends to come save you? What is Barton to you anyway? A replacement for your piss-poor father? Your idol in life?" I feel tears well in my eyes when Wanda jerks back and Pietro's hands fall away from me.

"No," I make myself say. "He's going to kill you, like I've always wanted to."

" _You_ are the one who called them?" Wanda asks in disbelief.

I have to nod. "Yes. I didn't think we could escape on our own." I don't miss the red in her eyes or the betrayal on Pietro's face.

"You lied to me," Pietro accuses. _Omitting isn't the same thing as lying,_ I think, even as I know that it is. There's something more to Pietro than just anger. I am shocked to recognize it as jealousy.

"I hope you're happy, Ridley," Von Strucker says, "because you're about to go from my entertainment to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s."

"Very," I reply, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. The compound shakes again and I have to grip the wall to stay standing.

"No surrender!" Von Strucker yells and everyone responds in kind. He gives me a look, like he might finally murder me here and now, but luckily, Dr. List pulls him away. I hear Von Strucker tell him, "I am going to surrender."

Even as they continue moving away and the booms become louder, I hear some of their conversation. I concentrate on it to block out the glares of Wanda and Pietro. Both of them appear to be itching to give me a good shake, maybe worse than that.

"Everything we've accomplished here…" Von Strucker trails off. "But we're on the verge of our greatest breakthrough."

"Then let's show them what we've accomplished," Dr. List responds. "Finish off Ridley and send out the twins." _That bastard,_ I think. Sometimes, he wasn't half bad.

"It's too soon."

"It's what they signed up for."

Pietro grabs my wrist and drags me out of the basement. Neither of them say anything until we reach a dark hallway. The lights flicker on and off at various intervals. I'm not sure whether that's because of the attack or my nerves.

"Katia, do you not understand what they are?" Wanda genuinely asks.

"Clearly, she does not!" Pietro exclaims. Wanda holds up a hand, like that'll calm him down.

" _You_ are the ones who don't know what they are," I say. "Their job is literally to help people in need. They're heroes and whether you want to believe it or not, we do need their help to get out of here."

"I would rather stay here than accept their so-called 'help.'" I knew that was coming.

"Maybe _you_ do but I didn't ask for this." As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I know that they are a mistake. Wanda actually flinches and Pietro's eyes darken with something worse than the anger and jealousy I saw earlier. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Oh, we know what you meant," Wanda spits out.

"Hate me, forgive me, I don't care. We can deal with that once this base has been blown sky high. I just want you to be safe. I want to get you out of here. I want to protect you. That's all I've ever wanted." _They know that's true,_ I think. _They have to know that's true, at least._

" _We_ can protect ourselves," Pietro asserts. He leaves no doubt as to who he means; he and Wanda. "And we could have protected you too. You knew we hated them, Katia! Why would you do this?"

"Look, the Avengers aren't just Tony Stark. The odds are high that you'll like at least one of the other five."

"That is not likely," Pietro tells me. "Why go to them at all? S.H.I.E.L.D. helped do this to you! The Avengers had forgotten you! _We_ never will." As he says this, it occurs to me that my relationship with them goes well beyond the bounds of human decency, which was all it had started as. Yes, I had been infatuated with the Maximoff twins the moment I met them so maybe it was always a little something more. But wanting to spare them torture, wanting to save their lives, came down to knowing they were innocent and didn't deserve the pain. It wasn't because I was in love with them and would do anything for them. But I realize now, perhaps vainly, that the opposite is true for Pietro and Wanda. Taking me in, caring about me, had been a risky endeavor and something neither took lightly but they'd done it all the same. Saving my life, doing everything in their power to make sure I survived, not leaving me behind when they absolutely should have, didn't come down to doing the right thing. Doing the right thing is my mantra but it has never been Pietro and Wanda's. I feel happy when I realize they love me and consider me one of their own, an orphan who hasn't had anyone other than Clint in a long time, but I also feel sad. Sad that I've called the Avengers without their advice, sad that they think I've betrayed them. It's true, they could've escaped this place without my help but they didn't. They stayed for me. And I owe them because of that.

"I am so sorry," I whisper, even though I know that no apology will ever adequately cover it. He grimaces and zooms past me in a blur of blue and white. "Where is he going?" I ask, though I'm sure I know.

"Where do you think? He wants to fight them," Wanda says matter-of-factly.

"Is he crazy?! He could be killed!" I demand, immediately pulling the handgun out of my boot. "They have a Hulk!" I cock the gun. "Damn it. Stay here," I tell her. I know it might be counter-intuitive but it's better that she's out of the Hulk's warpath. I've never seen it but I'm sure it's horrible.

Wanda wants to question me. I think she fears I'll abandon her and Pietro. "I won't go with them," I promise. I don't know how I'll manage that but I promise it anyway.

Before she can say anything, I take off running. I wrack my brain, trying to remember the escape route we planned to use all those months ago. I had it memorized, though not as clearly as Pietro. I'm out of breath when I run into a Hydra agent. I jerk back and yell when he shoots me in the left shoulder with a scepter-fueled gun. Even injured, I manage to kill him with a headshot. Lights shatter as I run the rest of the way to the train tunnel, blood trailing behind me. By the time I wander outside into the snow, I'm lightheaded and surely pale. I'm no longer in any sort of position to aid Pietro or even save myself. I realize dejectedly that leaving with Clint will be the only way to assure that I live through this. A shoulder wound isn't necessarily a kill-shot but it can quickly become one if I manage to bleed out in the snow.

I pass through the electric shield and lean against a tree to avoid the gunshots and blasts. Instead of appreciating my first time outside in months, I pull back my jacket and dress and look at my injury. I have to put part of my jacket in my mouth to keep from crying out when I touch it. _It's bad._ Blood stains the front of my gown and runs over my fingers. I take a deep breath and suck it up.

I keep pressure on my shoulder as I move through the valley toward the action. I'll need medical attention soon or I could pass out. The wound itself is gory and frankly, I'm in a lot of pain. But I have to try and save Pietro from himself. _Or from getting trampled. Whatever happens first._ If he shows himself as an enemy, by attacking any member of the team, they won't hesitate before shooting him. I doubt they'd catch him. In fact, the only real danger he may face is the Hulk and I stand no chance against that either. But I owe it to Pietro to at least give it a shot. If the most I do is let Clint and Natasha know he's friendly, I'll feel successful.

I stumble into a clearing, miraculously escaping further harm from one of the Hydra bunkers hidden farther down the mountain. I don't see Pietro anywhere but I do catch a flash of an arrow and an explosion farther away. "Clint!" I yell.

"Kat!" My legs almost give out from under me when he struts into the clearing. I drop Basso's gun and the pressure on my shoulder to run to Clint and wrap him in my arms. I ignore my pain and let my shaky fingers dig into his shoulders. I've never been held in so firm and safe a grip. For a moment, I'm just a normal girl again. A girl in hand-me-downs with an exceptional trigger finger, not someone who's been tortured and knocked on death's door. "You look terrible but God, are you a sight for sore eyes," he says. I laugh.

"So are you," I murmur. I want to cry, I'm so happy to see him.

"I've been looking everywhere for you! It's been over a year!" Clint pulls away from me and puts his hands to my face. I have missed this. "Are you all right? Who's blood is this?"

"I've been shot," I admit.

"Tell me you nailed the bastard."

"Please," I scoff. "It's like you don't even know me." He gives me a crooked smile.

"That's my girl." He pulls away to speak into his mic. "Katia's been hit. Requesting immediate evac."

"No, I've got to help you. You won't be able to get through the shield."

"Well, we've been shooting at it, Kat. I'm not sure you could do anything that we haven't been trying."

"Trust me, I'm the only one that can do this." Now's not the time to pull out the I-was-tortured-and-gained-wild-powers card.

"So should I do it quickly or slowly?" he asks when I turn to continue my hunt for Pietro.

"What are you talking about?"

"When we kill Von Strucker. Quickly or slowly?"

"Slowly," I declare. Clint solemnly nods.

He pulls me to him just in time to miss a Hydra blast. "Get behind me," he says, drawing an arrow. I obey him. I'm too weak to do otherwise. Blood starts to run between my fingers when I press them against my wound. It trails down my arm as he fires. The arrow never hits its mark. It's swept away in a whirl of blue and white. "What the- Did you see that?"

"Yeah," I reply weakly. Clint draws another arrow and I press a bloody hand against his arm. "Don't shoot him."

" _Him?_ " Clint looks at me over his shoulder and I nod. "We've got an enhanced," he says into his mic but he keeps his bow taut. I let my grip on his arm tighten.

"Clint, don't shoot him," I beg. "He's not Hydra."

"Then why'd he stop me from blowing that bunker?" I have no answer for that. I drop my hold on him as he thrusts me back against a tree. Before Clint has the chance to fire, he's on the ground. Despite everything, I smile.

Pietro slows for only a second. "You didn't see that coming?" he asks slyly. Clint is on his knees and ready to fire a shot in the next instant.

"Clint, this is…" I trail off because Pietro's already gone. "Pietro." Clint gets to his feet and I slowly move towards him. "Are you hurt?"

"Just my pride," he allows. "Look, we need to get you onto the quinjet. You're bleeding out. I'll deal with this. Nat!"

"No, let me take down the shield. And I can talk him down too. Just give me a chance."

Clint is going to refuse me, I can tell, but he never has the opportunity to voice it. I hear a blast and automatically push Clint out of the way. I expect to feel the impact but instead, I hit the forest floor, groaning with Pietro on top of me. Snow clumps in my hair, rubs against the bare skin of my legs, and I begin to shiver. Clint yells. More gunshots ring out and Pietro presses me closer to the ground. I wrap my arms around him to get a better grip. If I strain, I can see Clint moaning in the snow. Natasha dashes between the trees toward him. I hear her yell, "Clint's been hit!" _No,_ I think. _Please don't let it be bad._

"Somebody take out that bunker!" Natasha commands when I hear another blast. I try to bring Pietro closer to me, as if that might make him safer. His breath is ragged against my cheek and his chest is practically crushing mine. I hear another boom, one that makes the earth shake and makes Pietro hold me tighter. When he moves away from me, I know it's over and truthfully, I'm a little disappointed. _You are stupid, Katia,_ I tell myself. _Or delusional from blood loss._ "Katia!"

I hold up a hand at Natasha when I see her raise a gun. "I'm okay! He's my friend!" I call. "Help Clint!" Pietro makes me sit up and I know I'm bad off when I can't do it by myself. "Thank you," I tell him. He nods, almost bashfully.

"What happened to you?" he asks. Winter looks good on Pietro. The cold colors his cheeks pink and his shock of white hair almost lets him blend in.

"Hydra shot me before I made it outside." I don't complain when he pulls away my jacket and dress to look at my injury. I just look over at Natasha and Clint, who's still splayed out on the ground. Pietro grimaces and puts his hand against my shoulder, trying to stave off more bleeding. "It's that bad, huh?"

"I don't know how you are still conscious," he replies.

"Katia!" Natasha says. She's approaching but still managing to keep a safe distance. Pietro wants to run so I make myself grab his hand. "Thor is coming for you and Clint." I feel a hint of excitement at Thor's name. I've never met him.

"Tell him to wait until I get the electric shield down," I reply.

"Katia, what exactly do you think you can do?"

"Just trust me. It's your only way in." I can see her react to a command so I turn back to Pietro.

"If you try and destroy the shield, it could kill you," he says solemnly. I still see a flair of envy in his eyes. I know he doesn't understand why I want to help the Avengers but I don't have the time to explain it. In truth, I don't have much time left at all. I could fall unconscious at any time.

"They won't stop until they get the scepter. Just let me do it."

"Wanda won't let them take it." I shake my head at him.

"Listen, I've got to go with them," I tell him. "Scepter or not, you're going to have to let them take me."

"Oh, and that is what you want, is it not?" he replies spitefully. I expect him to pull away from me and dash off but Pietro just looks at me and clenches his jaw.

"Please don't get mad at me. I know I've made some mistakes but I'm bad off, Pietro. I know you can see that. S.H.I.E.L.D. has got things that'll heal me up in a couple of days. They can help me with this. You can't. I'm sorry but you can't." He looks disappointed and furious all in one. I hate myself for it.

There is a long pause and again, I think he'll just run away from me. "All right." He pulls me to my feet. Blood has stained the snow beneath me.

"Come with me," I plead before I can regret it. "I don't want to be without you and Wanda. I'll make sure you never see Tony Stark, whatever you want. Just please come with me." Pietro appears to contemplate that but there's a crack that sounds an awful lot like lightning and his hand leaves mine.

My gaze falls on what must be Thor. He lands in the snow with braided blonde hair and a rich red cape. He drops his hammer beside Clint. I stumble back at the hum of power that wafts away from it. I brush dark hair away from my face to get a better look at him. Thor is stunning and wildly electric. My bloody fingers start to twitch, which makes me remember the shield.

When I turn back, Pietro has disappeared and even though I've been shot today, that's the most painful blow I've been dealt yet.

"Katia," a powerful voice says.

"Take Clint first," I reply. "Come back for me." He wants to object but he lets me go anyway.

I wander back towards the compound and I know I'm near the shield before I feel it. I raise my hands and spread my fingers. Blood drips from one hand into the snow. I close my eyes and concentrate. My fingertips spark with a vitality I didn't know I had and I feel it ripple away from me. Time seems to slow and what energy I had left drains. Finally, I feel the shield give way under my touch. I crumple to the ground, finally unconscious.


	10. Chapter 10

**Yep, I suck. It is official and I know it. I've had a pretty crazy year with few updates on anything I write so I'm very sorry! It was all to do with leading up to this semester, where I am studying abroad! So at least the stress of getting here is over with but there are other stresses too. I just laugh at myself and my intentions because I genuinely thought I would have this finished last summer. Lol, isn't that hilarious? And all that said, this is… Not a short chapter but no twins and not a whole lot of development. I felt it would be too incredibly long if I continued into the party at Stark Tower. But I hope you enjoy this and again, I am really sorry! Thanks for all of your reviews, favorites, and follows. It really means a lot to me and please keep them coming. I only own Katia. Thank you!**

I dream about Pietro and Wanda and how everything is fine until a storm causes me to lose track of them. I search and I scream and still, they are washed away. There is whirring and buzzing, like everything is going wrong. I feel as if I'm falling and stuck at the same time. Pietro screams my name and I fear that will haunt me forever.

"Wake the girl up before she crashes this jet!" I crack my eyes open and register that I'm in a great deal of pain. Looking around, I'm confused. Someone is above me, with a tight grip on my wrist and his other hand on my shoulder. Slowly, I recognize him as Thor. Thor, the hammer wielding Avenger, who is half lightning. My mouth forms his name, almost in disbelief. Why would I be with Thor? Then it all floods back to me. The whirring and beeping continue. "Hey, kid! Do you think you could stop doing whatever it is you're doing and let me keep this plane in the air?"

I turn my head and see Tony Stark at the helm of this quinjet. "What?" I croak. _I'm not doing anything._ But I am delirious from blood loss and I can feel everything in the jet; the circuits and switchboards, the overriding computer system, the hair raising on my arm under Thor's touch. Suddenly, I'm not sure that I'm not doing something. I concentrate on leveling out, on calming down, on focusing on a solid point like Wanda taught me. There's a pang in my chest at that thought.

"She's not doing this, Stark!" _Clint,_ I think. _Oh God, Clint._ He's on the gurney beside mine. Captain America is staunching his bleeding. I let out a haggard breath, feeling faint.

"Uh, yeah, she is. Thor said she brought down that shield."

"Where are the twins?" I whisper.

"What?" Thor asks, his grip on my arm tightening. I fear he'll rip it from the socket.

"The twins. Pietro and Wanda. Where are they?"

"Oh, you mean the boy who got Clint shot and the witch who screwed with my head? They're back in Sokovia, wreaking havoc in their hometown," Tony Stark yells.

"You didn't take them," I mutter. Thor's face goes out of focus and I don't know if that's because pain is blurring my vision or tears. "Why didn't you take them?"

"Uh, they made it pretty clear what they thought of us." I clench my jaw and look to Clint. He's pale and grimacing. It occurs to me that Tony Stark is right; Pietro let him take the hit. But he saved me and isn't that worth something?

Clint returns my look with one of his own. "You're gonna be all right, Kat. You hear me?" I nod, even though I notice his expression is masking confusion and something worse. Something like fear. I force myself to take a deep breath.

"Clint-" I start, because I want to tell him the truth, but he cuts me off.

"Wait till we're better. You don't have to explain anything to me." He reaches towards me and I give him my hand. I smile at him weakly because it's all I can muster. Clint's good at reassuring, at wanting to hear my side of things. It's why we get on so well. It makes me want to relax. After feeling like Pietro and Wanda wanted answers that I couldn't give them, or rather that they wouldn't listen to, this is a nice reprieve. But I still see it on Clint's face, worry about what has happened to me, fear that I'm not the same girl I once was. What's worse is that I'm worried and fearful too.

We reach the Avengers base soon after and Thor wheels my gurney into the old Stark Tower. It has been refurbished since the Battle of New York. It is highly technologically outfitted, which I sense more than I see. The décor seems industrial and grey, truly just a modern version of the Sokovia base in my eyes, particularly with the amount of Iron Man suits and gear. Von Strucker was obviously trying to emulate him.

I look around, groggy and vision blurry. My shoulder throbs and my eyes are still nearly full of tears. I catch sight of what has to be Bruce Banner talking to a Korean doctor. He gestures at Clint, who is still near me. He manages to shake his head and he says my name. I open my mouth to argue but no sound comes out.

"I think we will be friends, Katia Ridley." I turn to stare up at Thor, who is just watching me with clear blue eyes. The man is twice my size, from another world, yet he gives me a look of respect. His hand, dirtied by my blood, grips mine. "I sense you are a fine warrior."

I swallow my pain and my sadness and reply, "That I am." He smiles, a generous and boisterous thing. The god of thunder and a girl with lightning in her fingertips. It could be an interesting match.

The doctor is Helen Cho and she has a machine that can regenerate flesh, which is what I and Clint desperately need since Hydra doesn't use regular guns. They fire blasts modelled on the tesseract and Loki's scepter. Thor makes me take off my tattered jacket and lifts me onto the bed of the machine. It is absolutely excruciating. Once there, Dr. Cho does her best to explain what's happening but I know what's happening. I can feel the machine. I understand everything that it's doing as it moves over me and shines a laser on my shoulder. I wince while it works, even though the pain is menial compared to the actual wound.

I watch from Dr. Cho's regeneration machine as one of her nurses discards my jacket. That is, oddly enough, what makes me want to break down the most. I think of Pietro and I think of the kindness he and Wanda showed me when I was sick. I think of the kindness they have shown me every day I've known them and how I have repaid that. I make myself focus on Tony Stark's ceiling to keep from crying.

For all I know, I will never see them again. Over a year of my life spent with them and I have no idea whether they are safe, whether Von Strucker had enough men left to subdue them, whether they're back on the streets of Sokovia. I tell myself that this was my goal all along, to get broken out and have the option to do what we wanted. But I find that I must have wanted to stay with them, on the streets or in the forest at the bottom of the base.

Finally, it is over and I am brand new, though they bandage my shoulder anyway. When the machine turns off, I suddenly feel even emptier, as if its whirring and lights were keeping me going. Maybe they were.

Dr. Cho helps Clint next. I stay with him and Natasha the whole time because to some degree, him getting hurt feels like my fault.

"Katia, why don't you get some rest?" he says with a groan, still obviously hurting. How can I tell him that I can't sleep? How can I tell him anything that's happened to me?

"She's fine, Clint," Natasha replied for me, sipping on a green smoothie. "She's got a new shoulder." But she looks my way and I know she's seeing me for what I really am, a damaged wreck.

"Clint," I murmur and he shakes his head again.

"You don't have to explain anything to me, Kat," he repeats. "I just want life to get back to normal for you." I feel a pit form in my stomach at that word. I will never be normal again and I sense that Clint knows that. I saw the fear on his face on the quinjet. It reflected my own.

"Katia, let me show you your room anyway," Natasha says. She holds out a hand to me, as if she fears I will wander and lose my way.

"I want to talk to you later, Clint," I tell him before going with her.

"Anything for you, kid," he replies and I make myself return his smile.

When we leave the living room, we pass Captain America and Dr. Banner again, long enough for me to be introduced. I met Steve Rogers once after the Battle of New York and he remembers me. He personally apologizes for what happened. He has a kind, handsome face and he could probably bench-press me. I like him. Dr. Banner is unassuming and constantly gathers his hands to his chest, as if he fears relaxing. Natasha watches him with a far friendlier gaze than she gives Steve.

My room is huge, with a bed that could hold three people and a closet that could hold more. It is more than anything S.H.I.E.L.D. has ever given me. Natasha goes and sits on the bed, ruffling its blue bedspread. I have admired her since Clint brought her in. She has been a role model and a friend and I can feel that now she will occupy the role of counselor.

"Clint's not going to understand," she starts. "I doubt anyone here will ever understand. But if you want to talk about it, I'll listen."

"Are the twins okay? Do you know?" I ask. By the look on her face, I doubt she does. They've done enough to put Wanda and Pietro on record as enhanced. Once it was clear they weren't friendly, the Avengers wouldn't have given pursuit, even if I'd asked it of them. "Will you go back for them?" I glance around, as if the answer means little to me, but my fingers tweak and the lights dim. Natasha shakes her head, unflustered by my ability.

"They are citizens of Sokovia and even if they were under our jurisdiction, they have the right to live freely as long as they don't endanger anyone." I take her words and apply them to myself, even though I am clearly under their jurisdiction. "The girl caused Stark to hallucinate but the boy saved your life. There's no reason to pursue them."

"I'd just like to know that they're okay." She nods but I think she knows I want more than that affirmation.

"We can find that out."

"Their names are Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. They volunteered for a human experimentation program that promised to give them and others abilities akin to the Avengers. They were the only two survivors. They were orphaned when a shell collapsed their apartment building. That's what you want, isn't it? Information on them and the base."

She shakes her head again and I can see that it hurt her. I remind myself that Hydra couldn't have wiped all the files that quickly and neither could I, not with powers I haven't fully explored. The Avengers have all the information they could want or need about the Maximoffs. And all the information about me. "Katia, I'm just concerned about you. None of that matters now. You never have to say another thing about it, if that's what you want."

"Is that how you felt? When Clint brought you in?" I cross my arms and stay standing. There is a mirror on the closet door and it reveals me as thin and piqued. My hair is thin and stringy. There is purple beneath my grey eyes. I am a ghost of a girl. And I think there are many reasons to be frightened of me.

"Yes," she replies. "It's hard to come back from some of the things I've done. But Clint knows. I've told him. Some burdens are easier to bear alone and some you should share."

"And you think I should share?"

"I believe that you should talk to someone totally outside of the situation. Talk about what you can do now, talk about what you did, talk about how you hate Hydra. You don't need to tell me what happened explicitly because I know suffering and you've clearly gone through some," she responds. And because I know that Natasha is the only person who could even begin to understand the torture and my fear of water and my love for the twins, who could easily have made a different call, I tell her. I tell her what they did. I tell her what I can do. I tell her that I lost faith in S.H.I.E.L.D. and myself and that I was consigned to my fate. I tell her that Pietro brought me juice instead of water and gave me his jacket and that Wanda told me stories of their parents.

Then I confess. "I killed Agent Smith when he put a gun to Pietro's head. I shot him once and that should have been enough but then I shot him twice more to make sure he never did it again. I murdered Basso and it was an accident and I hid his body in a cabinet in the base. He came at me and what I can do now killed him. I did it without thought." I pause. "I just tried to save Pietro and Wanda. And I disappointed and betrayed them. I wanted to save them but I couldn't even save myself." And then I am crying. Natasha gets up and wraps her arms around me.

"What happened to the Maximoffs, and to you, is not your fault. It's not your fault," she whispers, "and I need you to repeat that to me. Say it. 'It's not my fault.'"

"It's not my fault," I murmur into her shoulder.

"Say it again. Say it over and over until you believe it."

"It's not my fault."

"Again."

"It's not my fault."

I repeat those words until I fall asleep that night, Natasha at my side, and I dream of murky water and silver hair. When I wake up, it is early and Natasha has left, probably training or briefing Clint on me. I make my way out of my room and pause before entering the labs because Steve Rogers and Maria Hill are having an in-depth conversation.

"He's got increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis. Her thing is neuro-electric interfacing, telekinesis, mental manipulation," Maria Hill is saying. It's as if she's reading right off the file I created. At Steve's confusion, Hill shrugs. "He's fast and she's weird."

"What about Katia Ridley?" Steve asks.

"Apparently, Ridley's powers were so new that Strucker and his team didn't have the time to change much on her file. In fact, they listed a death date. She wasn't expected to survive."

"Well, clearly, she did," he says in a way that makes me proud.

"And all Strucker seems to have known is that she can manipulate electricity. Their base underwent an eight hour blackout three days ago, that she's supposedly responsible for."

"So technology. Computers, the lighting systems, security, the like." Hill nods at him.

"She could bring this building down."

"We need to know the extent of what she can do and we need to keep tabs on the Maximoffs. They'll show up again, particularly if they shared a bond with Ridley."

"Agreed. File says they volunteered for Strucker's experiments. It's nuts." I know the file said something else. It said I was a party to the experiments, that I sat there every day and let them happen because I didn't know what to do. A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent like Maria Hill would think less of me for that.

"Right. What kind of monster would let a German scientist experiment on them to protect their country?"

"We're not at war, Captain."

"Those three kids are at war. They've been fighting a war for a very long time," he asserts. When he makes ready to leave, I duck back down the hallway and I fear that Wanda and Pietro may have been right about some things. I'll be down on the list as enhanced, they'll keep tabs on me, and even if I wanted to set out on my own and leave all this behind, they'd never truly let me.

It's later in the morning when I finally talk to Clint. It's obvious that he's spoken to Natasha and that, perhaps, Natasha has spoken to everyone. I'm grateful that I don't have to say anything more. But when Clint takes me down into Stark Tower's lavish living room area, I know that the news has been hard on him. I sit beside him on a leather couch, in new tennis shoes and a new dress, and the official reunion is already more somber than it should be. I have known Clint most, if not all, of my life. He practically raised me. What happened to me will be just as unfathomable to him.

"Kat, I think I owe you an apology," he starts and I automatically shake my head. "No, I do. You just got the go-ahead from some higher-ups to go on that mission and no one thought anything of it. It should have been normal and honestly, what were the odds that you'd end up with them? It wasn't two weeks later and S.H.I.E.L.D. fell. The scepter was gone, you didn't know who you could trust, electronic files had been tampered with, teams abroad suddenly fell off the radar. It was madness and my first instinct was to find you but-"

"Things had to get taken care of stateside," I finish. "And eventually I'd been off the grid so long that there was no point in looking." He nods.

"I knew you were but people's thinking was that either you were loyal or you weren't. If you were, you were probably killed and if you were Hydra, then you didn't want to be found." He pauses. "I knew you weren't dead and I knew you weren't Hydra but I didn't expect this."

"Neither did I."

"Katia, I can't imagine- I don't _want_ to imagine what they put you and those kids through. And the fact that you bore it all alone." His fingers press against the bridge of his nose and he closes his dark eyes. "Look, kid, you're like my own. You're like family to me… and I and S.H.I.E.L.D. have let you down."

"That's not true," I mutter and take his hand, even if, to some degree, it is. "I survived and it's over. That's all that matters."

"It's not over, Kat. It won't be over for you for a long time." He glances at me and I see that Natasha has told him about the water.

"I'll get better."

"I know you will. But this isn't your fault, Kat. I know you so I know that you felt responsible for standing by but there's nothing you could have done. And what you did was more than enough. You and the Maximoffs are free now." There's an edge to his voice that sounds like he doesn't believe that's such a good idea. I remind myself that Pietro could have saved him from the blast but didn't. "I'm sure they're grateful to you."

"We were supposed to stay together but they never wanted me to call you. They're apprehensive about S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers in particular." He gives me a dry laugh.

"Really?" he replies sarcastically. "I didn't get that at all."

"I love them, Clint," I admit. "They mean a lot to me and if I've lost them, that's one of the worst outcomes."

He weakly smiles and it's an expression that tells me I am young and inexperienced. "Look, kid, it might have been the worst experience of your life but it was your first mission. And I'm gonna tell you something that nobody believes on their first mission but is the absolute truth; you can't save everyone. Some people don't want to be saved, some people don't want to be saved by _you_ , and sometimes, you fail. What happened here was not a failure. You did what you set out to do. Wanda and Pietro Maximoff are free. You're back home. This is a victory."

"It doesn't feel like one."

"Any battle where you come out alive is a win, Katia. You know that. You're a soldier. You and the Maximoffs walked out of this alive. That's more than enough." I want to say that I am _not_ a soldier, that I don't deserve that honor, but I can only think of the twins.

"They were all I had and I ruined that."

"Look, it would be incredibly strange if you didn't care for them after all that you've been through and believe me, I get it. Situations like that bind people together and I've seen the files. You're similar to them. In another life, you could have _been_ them. It's understandable that you love them and that you feel bad. And frankly, I don't know what to say or do that would be a comfort."

"I should have had a real conversation with them, not just keep my cards close to my chest."

"Don't do this to yourself, Kat. Don't sit here and beat yourself up over something you can't change. The Maximoffs were given the opportunity to come with us." He doesn't say it but I hear "and with _you_ " hovering at the end of his statement. "Now given time, they'll pop back up on the radar and we can deal with that later."

"You mean, you would consider going after them?" I ask, my voice filled with a stupid amount of hope. I shouldn't want S.H.I.E.L.D. to pursue them. That's not what they'd want. But I just feel like there was so much left unsaid between us. They deserve _something_ from me, even if it's just some lousy expression of gratitude. The twins did more for me in that year than they'll ever know and I owe them for it. And besides, I can't seem to shake them. They are there every time I close my eyes, around corners in the hallway, in my dreams. I know it is my guilt but it takes on their faces.

Clint's entire expression changes and it flickers to worry. "Katia, I think it best that you do what you can to leave this, _all_ of this, behind you."

There is a pause, a pause where the lights blink around us and Tony Stark complains from the lab. "You don't want me to be in contact with the twins."

He shakes his head. "It's not that."

"Yes, it is. It is that."

"Look, with what is going on with you, which you don't even understand yet, so how can we? It's just safer for you to stay here and recover. Learn the extent of what you can do, rest, eat a proper meal and gain some weight back, sleep without fear of death. You start down that road and nothing changes for you."

"I just want to speak with them. That's all I would ask. They won't come here, that's the last thing they want, but it was over a year of my life and they were all I had." The skin around Clint's eyes crinkles, like he's softening to me, but he sighs. "Clint, I don't expect you to understand it. You say you do but you can't. Thank God, you can't but it was just us three for that year. They're the reason I'm alive. They deserve something, at least a proper goodbye. And they're the only people on the planet who can genuinely understand what happened to me."

He shakes his head. "I get that you've got a bond with them. But just give yourself some time alone first, kid. You need to just take some time and relax. Recover. Not think about all of that. And if you wanna think about it and you wanna talk to somebody, there are two people here who would be _more_ than willing to discuss their own experiences with you. Steve and Natasha." Natasha is easily comparable. She's never said what she went through explicitly but she's never had to. There has to have been some vague human experimentation involved in what happened to her. And Steve Rogers, he was precisely the same as the twins when he went in for that procedure. He'd even said as much in that conversation I overheard this morning. I want to take comfort in the fact that there is someone who might get it but without the twins, it still feels as if I'm lost. We didn't have the time to talk about it all but they're the ones who could have helped me learn about what I can do.

But Steve and Natasha and the rest of the Avengers are something, something I've been working towards most of my life, and I can't throw that away over one horrible year with Hydra. Wanda and Pietro did have a choice and they made it. I need to make mine.

"You're right," I allow. I will be of no use to anyone, even myself, if I don't learn to control what I can do.

"I'm sorry. I didn't catch that." But he's laughing so I punch him in the arm.

"I said, you're right."

"I need to mark that on the calendar." I laugh too and I admit that it makes me feel a little better. "Now there's gonna be a party in a couple of days and after that, Thor leaves. He's offered to give you some pointers between now and then and if I were you, I'd take him up on it."

"Some pointers?" I ask warily. Thor wanted to help train me?

"I don't know how you took down that shield, kid, but it impressed the hell out of him." I let my chest fill with pride. Impressing someone like Thor still gives me a thrill, still makes me want to be S.H.I.E.L.D. more than anything else. "He can't tell you much about the technology but the raw electricity, those sparks around your fingers, he can help you get that under control."

I doubt that anyone can help me get this under control when I don't even remotely understand it but I take the chance and approach Thor that afternoon. If nothing else, speaking with him will be a welcome distraction from wondering about Pietro and Wanda.

Thor tries but I can tell that there are aspects of what I can do that truly baffle him. Though we are similar, we are also incredibly different. He is tall and well-built and ready for a physical fight where I've always been small and scrawny, even without Hydra denying me meals. But in personality, we gel. Where Wanda was patience and understanding, Thor is brawn and jumping in headfirst. His training is the kind I understand, dismantle this, turn that light off, spark up your hands. He even extends that hammer towards me, its head nearly the size of my middle, and lights it up. I feel that power hum in my blood and bones and I'm surprised to find that I want it. When I'm able to connect with the hammer and with him, I feel complete rather than the obvious destruction it normally wreaks. Puzzle pieces finally fit together. For months, all I've been is tired. This is the first time I'm exhilarated and I know it is from this ability.

Clint doesn't mention that Tony Stark and Bruce Banner also want something. I eat dinner with the six Avengers and Maria Hill, forcing myself to choke down the tiny glass of water Natasha sat by my plate. When it's over, they approach me. I actually scoot backwards and knock the back of my chair. I know the look of scientists and it's not a look I'm overly fond of. But Clint gives me a reassuring nod so I make myself relax.

"Would you mind coming up to the labs, Katia?" Dr. Banner asks. I am relieved that he is the one to speak to me because he's a relatively unassuming person and though he's remarkably intelligent, I don't feel like he's the sort to look down on you because you're not. "Apparently, Tony has something to show us."

"Uh… Sure," I reply. But I've crossed my arms and my nails are digging into my skin. Dr. Banner winces, as if he hates even asking me the question.

"To be clear, not all labs are creepy Neo-Nazi labs," Tony says. When I am still tense, he actually sighs and it is a sigh of understanding. I remind myself of his time in the desert, his time tortured and kidnapped. He gets it too. "Look, I need your help with something."

"I'm afraid I know very little about the spear. I wasn't told much. I just know it did this to me and the Maximoffs."

"Well, it's not about the scepter. Not technically, anyway. Just, uh, I'll show you."

I go with them to the labs of Stark Tower, thick glass floors over machines being repaired and white tables. My hand rolls back and forth, in time to a robotic arm being placed on one of Tony's suits below us. Dr. Banner and I stand back while Tony readies whatever it is he wanted to show us. Even after understanding the twins' apprehension about Tony Stark, I'm flattered that he's invited me here, as if I'm on equal standing with one of the greatest minds living.

"I was wondering how Strucker got so inventive so I've been analyzing the gem in Loki's scepter," he starts off. He brings up a tiny tablet that appears totally translucent and flicks it. A round, orange ball appears in front of us. It moves about, flickering like a sun, and my fingers bounce in time to it. I wonder what I could make it do.

"Jarvis," Dr. Banner declares.

"Yes, Doctor," the ball responds with Jarvis's voice. It quakes with each word.

"When it started out, Jarvis was just a natural language UI. Now he runs the Iron Legion," Tony goes on. I keep quiet because I don't want to reveal just how out of my depth I am. "He runs more of the business than anyone besides Pepper."

"So he's amazing," I say, a question in my tone. I'm not sure what he's going for but damned, if I don't want to know.

"Yeah, he's top of the line."

"I suspect not for long," Jarvis interjects. I feel his voice in my body, like I'm hyperaware of Jarvis and where he is. He's not just in the globe in the center of the room. He's throughout the building, throughout the computer systems.

Tony walks up to the scepter and flicks that tiny tablet at its pulsing blue stone. "Meet the competition." Another flick and a blue orb appears beside Jarvis. It is massive and obviously farther down the road than Jarvis has gotten.

"It's beautiful," Dr. Banner says as he walks around it.

"If you had to guess, what would you say it looks like?"

"Like it's thinking. I mean, this could be- It's not a human mind but- I mean, look at this. They're like neurons firing." Dr. Banner looks at me, probably because he knows I'm struggling to keep up, but I nod. Because it is as incredible to me as it is to them, just not for the same reasons, I'm sure. This is something electric that I sense is more a part of me than anything else electric I've felt and I suppose that is because I am linked to the spear in some way. After all, it did this to me. It gave me this power.

I reach out and let my hand move through it. Goosebumps run up my arm.

"Down in Strucker's lab, I saw some fairly advanced robotics work," Tony says. I freeze. "They deep-sixed the data but I've gotta guess he was knocking on a very particular door."

"Artificial intelligence," Dr. Banner breathes.

"You know anything about this, Agent Ridley?" They both direct their gaze my way and I shrug, though I like that he called me 'agent.'

"I know he couldn't get it to work," I reply. "When they found out what I could do, Strucker wanted me to wake up his machines. He had the design, the system, everything but for some reason, couldn't get them to turn on." Tony snaps his fingers.

"See? We've got the missing link. I think the problem is the system and that _you_ can fix it."

"I'm sorry?"

Tony turns to Dr. Banner without giving me a response, his mind running a mile a minute. "This could be it, Bruce. This could be the key to creating Ultron."

Dr. Banner gives a dry laugh. "I thought Ultron was a fantasy."

"Yesterday it was. If we can harness this power, apply it to my Iron Legion protocol, get Ridley to spark up the system…"

"That's a massive if."

"Our job is 'if.' What if you were sipping margaritas on a sun-drenched beach, turning brown instead of green? What if the world was safe? What if the next time aliens roll up to the club, and they will, they couldn't get past the bouncer?"

"Then it would only be humans threatening the planet."

"Look, I think we should apply this to the Ultron program. Jarvis can't download a data schematic this dense. We can only do it while we have the scepter here. That's three days. Give me three days!"

"Let me get this straight," I finally say. "You want to achieve artificial intelligence and you want me to tweak Strucker's system into working for you."

"And you don't want to tell anyone but the two of us?" Dr. Banner asks, gesturing between me and him.

"Yes, that's the gist and no, I don't because I don't want a lecture. We don't have the time for a city hall debate," Tony replies. "I see a suit of armor around the world."

"That's a cold world."

"I've seen colder." And immediately, I know this stems from whatever Wanda did to him.

"What did Wanda make you see?" I ask.

He turns and his face is an expression that I can only call haunted. "It's insignificant, it's nothing."

"She can show you your worst fear." He nods and my stomach drops at the look on his face. _I hope Wanda never turns her gifts on me._ "I'm sorry but I can't help you. Not two days ago, Baron Von Strucker asked me the same question and I've got a feeling that I was right to turn him down."

"Ridley, I'm talking about making all of our jobs a little easier. Let us take a day off, sleep. If the Ultron program had been up and running, you wouldn't have needed to SOS. The whole problem would have been taken care of to begin with."

"While that's a comforting thought, I've also seen Terminator and Strucker's system probably resembles Skynet."

"We're gonna fix his system."

"You don't know that I can do that. _I_ don't know."

"If you took down that energy shield, this will barely be a blip on your radar. Come on, it's three days. I'll show you the ropes, let you get the hang of the lab, see how you handle it all, and we'll go from there." He smiles, a charming grin that must have won him many a woman's favor. He's offering me a position in his company.

"I can't work for you, Mr. Stark. I'm meant to be a field agent, not a tech."

"Who says you can't be both?" He's close enough to drape his arm around me, as if we're old pals. He points at Jarvis and the blue globe from the scepter. "Look, I know I don't know you well but I can tell you're digging this, you're feeling the charge, the electricity. Hell, I bet you can feel everything in this building and I bet you know how it works. I wouldn't have invited you up here if I didn't know for sure."

"Mr. Stark-"

"It's one thing, Agent Ridley. It's a snap of your fingers at the end of the process. Bruce and I handle the rest." His sweeps out in front of me and I feel obnoxiously close. "You spark up those well-trained trigger fingers, Ultron turns on, and then you can go back to S.H.I.E.L.D. … or just consider it, just consider Stark Industries." He takes his arm and clasps his hands. I think he is close to begging and Dr. Banner just presses his fingers to the bridge of his nose.

"I can't do it, Mr. Stark. I'm sorry." He sighs, dejected. "It's a matter of principle. It's the man whose ideas you're looking at."

"I am _not_ Baron Von Strucker. Nothing I create will be what he wanted. I've had the Ultron system on the backburner for a while now." He clasps his hands tighter and because he is who he is and because I need to do _something,_ I know I will agree.

"Tell me everything about Ultron." He smiles again.

"You're in?"

I groan but nod. "I'm in."


End file.
